074 JOURNAL^ BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Vol. XII . 



the panels of doors, etc. ; the wild Nutmeg {J\Iyristica attenuata) ; and 

 fifteen species of trees of the Laurel order, all notable and some of them 

 very beautiful trees, the most notable being Lilscea StocksH, a laurel of 

 pyramidal form with whorls of pale bluish-green leaves and frequent 

 everywhere, and a species of Cinnamon ( Cinnamonum Tamala ) — of 

 which I liave found only four specimens, all at Matheran— a striking 

 and handsome tree, though of no great size, with tufts, when £rst burst- 

 ing into leaf, of small, p'nk, transjjarent leaves, which afterwards 

 lengthen and become poiuted at both ends and have marked ribs or 

 nerves, and are dark and shining above, and when dried, turn to a rich 

 brown, and yield a spicy scent, when crushed. These, with several 

 sppcies of trees of the Spurge-wort order {EupJiorbiacece), which is 

 well represented on both hills and includes the Macar'anga Roochurgliii^ 

 a tree conspicuous at Maiheran by its large ovate and peltate leaves, and 

 the Hasana (Bridelia retusa), a good timber tree ; and of the genus 

 Ficus, which includes the well known Banyan tree, the sacred Pij'al, 

 the Sycamore tree of the Bible, and other Figs not so well known ; the 

 stately and fine foliaged Jack tree {Artocarpus integnifotia)^ with its 

 enormous fruit, allied to the Kigs, the Willow (Salix tetrasperma), and 

 the Fish-tail palm (Cargota urens)^ — the only palm included in my 

 Catalogue— make up a fairly full list of the more conspicuous of the 

 forest trees on the two hills. 



I wished I could have conveyed to my audience something more 

 than a dim conception of the beauty and peiennial charm of these 

 Indian woods. But that was beyond my power. It was enough for 

 me, if, by my narrative, however imperfect and meagre, I had helped 

 in any degree, to induce a right appreciation of the value of the great 

 work done by those who had preserved and improved the Forest areas of 

 British India to the lasting benefit of the State and the people. 



My piper was illustrated with lantern slides prepared mostly from 

 some beautiful photographs taken many years ago by Dr. Theodore 

 Cooke. I was also able, through the kindness of Mr. Playford Rey- 

 nolds, to exhibit some specimens of forest woods, which had been select- 

 ed and polished by Messrs. John Roberts and Company of Bombay 

 being woods in common use for cabmet work. 



