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Brazil ; the other, which gave date, latitude and longitude, had not 
travelled so far, having been dropped overboard from a local vessel 
about 60 miles to the E.N.E. six days before it was found on the 
beach. It was forwarded in time to be “news,” though it was 
merely to say that its writer would not be home so soon as he had 
expected to be. 
Bamboos, of which there are very few living in Grand Cayman, 
and trees of larger size than any locally grown, and in comparatively 
fresh and perfect condition, come ashore fairly often, and suggest a 
aceetg transport for various forms of life—most probably from 
uba. 
ive cocoanuts are not frequent—perhaps one a year to each 
mile of beach—but many more are no doubt picked up floating 
between the reef and the shore by fishermen and others. Mani- 
caria nuts are very abundant. The islanders call them “sea- 
cocoanuts”” (cf. Lodoicea from the Seychelles) and sometimes eat 
them, though they are considered, and probably with good reason, 
to be indigestible. Occasionally perfect fruits are found, but no 
* sea-cocoanut ” has ever been known to germinate, and there is not 
a tree of it in the island. 
Presumably the reason is to be found in the time taken in transit 
from Trinidad, or from wherever in South America these nuts ma 
come. Ina few cases signs of germination are visible when the 
nuts are opened, so it may be that this starts before or very soon 
after the commencement of the sea voyage, and is fatally checked 
by absorption of salt water. There is one known instance, and 
apparently one only which will bear investigation, of a plant having 
established itself unaided from sea-borne seed in Grand Cayman. 
is is Cassia lineata, now fairly common in places on the south 
side of the island and locally known as “storm weed.” ' 
It was first found soon after one of the notable hurricanes ; some 
say in 1876, others in 1903, but it is agreed that it was unknown 
before and was noticed at once because it seemed to be a good 
garden flower. 
me grasses are said to have appeared after hurricanes, but on 
investigation it would seem that they appeared in quantity rather 
than for the first time, occupying ground where “ bush ” had been 
destroyed; there is some uncertainty too as to which particular 
grasses they are. ; : 
A small colony of Ipomoea acetosifolia, a plant which the writer 
has only seen in this one place in Grand Cayman, extending along 
about a hundred yards of shore from the remains of a pile of debris 
left by the 1903 hurricane, may very possibly be derived from a 
seed thrown up then; but the evidence, of course, is onl 
presumptive. As it would also have been concerning a single plant 
of Sophora tomentosa, evidently some Yas old, flowering and about 
to ripen seed, which unfortunately disappeared in the heavy sea 
resulting from the near passage of the hurricane of November, 1912. 
It was new to the islanders, and they can give a name to almost 
anything that grows in the bush. 
i 
* The Cayman reptiles seem on the whole to be of Cuban rather than 
Jamaican origin. 
32684 A2 
