( 679 ) 



^§§ 2. ]Mk,an« of distribution. 



The t'ollowiiij:^' ohservations were, in part, made bj me in 1891, 

 on a botanical journey in Centi-al Java, and were written down in 

 the same year, bnt were not publisiied^) till some years later in a 

 dntch article entitled: "dissemination of Myrica seeds by birds" in a 

 memoir on spontaneous and artiticial reforestation of the Sendoro. 



"The above observations are of interest on account of the cir- 

 cumstance, that Myrica javanica Reinw, {^Pitjlsan, jdvanese) has been 

 found by experience to be one of the most important species of trees 

 for the reforestation of the Sendoro, and especiallj^ on account of 

 the fact, that as yet there are in the literature no numerical data 

 as to the means and agents of distribution of this zoophorous 

 species. 



The drupaceous stone-fruits of Myrica trees being edible, and there 

 always being a large number of birds, especially wild pigeons, in 

 the Myrica reforestatioiis, it seemed not improbable, that the fruits 

 are eaten by the birds, and are disseminated by them. 



The contents of the crop and gizzard of three birds, shot in the 

 Myrica forests above Kledoeng (1450 m. above sea-level), were 

 found to consist almost entirely of undamaged Myrica stones, some 

 of which were still surrounded by the soft mesocarp; of these birds 

 one green pigeon had 231, a second green pigeoii 144, and one 

 koetilan (Ixos haemorrhous) 4 seeds of Myrica javanica, still enclosed 

 in the stone. 



In the drop and gizzard of a single pigeon there were thus no 

 fewer than 231 undamaged "seeds" of the Myrica tree. The gizzards 

 of the two green pigeons contained only the red mesocarp with tiie 

 seeds still enclosed in the stone, without other remnants of food, 

 but the crop and the gizzard of the koetilan contained in addition 

 some rests of insects. 



Since all the stones which were examined, were quite undamaged 

 and had only been freed from the surrounding tleshy portion of the 

 fi-uit, it seems to me there is no doubt, that the strong endocarps, 

 t!u-own out by the birds, will germinate extremely well, and it may 

 be assumed, that the green pigeons especially contribute largely to 

 the dissemination of the seeds of Myrica javanica on the G. Sendoro. 



It may be added, that the above-mentioned stones, collected from 

 the three bird's gizzards, were sown at my request by Mr. E. Tobi 



1; KooRDERs, S. H., Spontaneous and artificial reforestation of the Sendoro in 

 Java (in Tijdschrift van Nijverh. en Landb. v. Nederl. Indie, Dl 51, p. 241—287, 

 wilti a map). — Compare also : V4LET0N, Th. The distribution of fruits by animals 

 (in Teijsmannia IV, p. 219). 



