246 



whole matter of Ceara rubber-the differences between the species, 

 their rates of growth in all parts of the world, their enemies (chiefly 

 in German East Africa), their tapping, the coagulation of the latex 

 and the return. 



On page 154, the author gives his opinion cautiously to the effect 

 that the nutritive role of latex cannot be considered as proved ; on 

 page 224 he advises that trees should not be tapped until their girth is 

 40 cm. (nearly 16 inches) ; on page 33 he shows that in favoured 

 localities this girth is reached in a little over a year, but even 3-4 year 

 old trees should not be tapped oftener than 25-40 times in the year, 

 meagre yields having apparently in the past been due to tapping in 

 excess (page 230) ; and (page 308) the yield which may be hoped 

 for is:— 



in the fourth year, 50 kilogrammes per hectaire or 44.6 lbs. per acre, 



fifth „ 100 „ „ 89.2 



sixth „ 150 „ „ 133-8 



seventh „ 200 „ „ 178.4 



eighth „ 200 „ ., 178.4 



He records as actually obtained on the Kwamdoro estate, whose 

 situation seems to be particularly favourable: — 



Ih'i. per acre. 



53-5 

 107.6 

 177.8 

 196.1 



The seed contains nearly 30 per cent, of oil. 



KOORDERS, S. H., EXCURSIONSFLORA VON JAVA, UMFAS- 



SEND DIE Blutknpflanzen, Jena, Gustav Fischer. Three'volumes, 

 pp. xxvi — 412; 742; x-498 ; with figures in the text, 19 plates and 3 

 maps ; 1911-1912. Vol. iv. to be complete in twenty parts, containing 

 reproductions from photographs and line figures of the higher plants 

 of Java, Part I, 1913. 



This work when complete will be the best substitute for a 

 popular Flora of the Malay peninsula that can be recommended, 

 provided that the possessor can read German. Having but little 

 knowledge of botany it will be possible to ascertain the name with 

 considerable ease of any Javanese flowering plant, and of most of the 

 commoner plants of the peninsula. An unfortunately rather long 

 list of corrections has been issued. 



Messrs. C. L. Gatin a.vd C. M. Bret in a paper in theCoMPTES- 

 Rexdus de l'Academie des Sciences de Paris, clvi. pp. 805-807, 

 point out that all the varieties of Elaeis guiiieensis — the African oil 

 palm — produce on the Ivory Coast (West Africa) two kinds of fruits, 

 the lesser being empty. They say that these lesser sterile deceptive 

 shells are constant in proportion for each variety, being most numer- 

 ous in var. ceredia, so that they appear to be normal to the trees. 



