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from the Orient. The Hst incUides the Indian banyan, Ficus 

 beui^alcnsis; the Chinese banyan, Ficus retusa : Ficus religiosa, 

 sacred fig- of India; Ficus elastica, the well-known conservatory 

 plant, which was also formerly planted for rubber : and the less 

 known species Ficus ruiuphii, Ficus hcnjamina, Ficus infectoria, 

 Ficus macrophylla and Ficus hispida. The writer, therefore, in 

 December, 1920, was instructed to undertake a journey to China, 

 the Malay Peninsula and India, in order to investigate these 

 species in their respective ranges, and determine, as far as pos- 

 sible : 1. The most useful and desirable species of Ficus to 

 propagate in Hawaii : 2. the ag'ent or agents of fertilization, and 

 the deg-ree of strictness in the relationship between insect and 

 plant ; 3. the best method of transporting the insects. 



Departing- from Honolulu December 9, Hong Kong was 

 reached on the 4th of January. At the Botanic Garden there, 

 it was learned that three of the above-named species are common 

 in Hong Kong and its vicinity, producing seedlings and there- 

 fore harboring fig- insects. Ficus elastica was also represented 

 in the Garden by several handsome trees, evidently planted. 

 Ficus retusa is the most representative fig in Hong Kong', and 

 at the time was in full fruit. An examination of fig's collected 

 on Kennedy Road disclosed fig wasps in the late pupal stage, 

 nearly ready to emerge. Each fig contained close to a hundred 

 fig wasps and a large number of inquilinous species as well. 

 After rearing the insects from these figs and determining their 

 relationship, large quantities of the figs were shipped to Hono- 

 lulu in cold storage, from which fig wasps emerged on removal 

 of the packages from the refrigerator at their destination. Ficus 

 hispida is also very common in this locality, occurring along 

 water-courses in Kowlcon, the Chinese citv on the mainland 

 opposite Hong Kong. These plants are shrubby, have large, 

 fleshy fruits, and are said to coppice freely. The s-i:)ecies was 

 considered undesirable on account of its weedy nature. Ficus 

 infectoria is represented by many handsome trees, one ])articu- 

 larly on the wall surrounding old Kcwloon, and one in the 

 Botanic Garden, fruiting in July. 



Singapore was reached on the 27th of Tanuarv. The common 

 fig there is Ficus runiphii, which was in fruit at the time of my 

 arrival : but as the result of certain experiments made plain the 

 impossibility of carrying fig insects alive to Hawaii from points 

 beyond Hong Kong, no shipments were made. This s])ecies is, 

 moreover, considered objectionable on account of its harmful 

 nature resulting from the germination of large numbers of seed- 

 lings on buildings. Ficus retusa was also common about Singa- 

 pore, with insects present in the fruits. Other species observed 

 were Ficus beniamina, Ficus infectoria, Ficus bengalensis, Ficus 

 elastica and Ficus macro phylla, but they were either without 

 fruit or the fruit disclosed no insects. 



Calcutta was reached on February 8. The common species 

 in this locality are Ficus bengaleusis and Ficits religiosa. The 



