54 TKANSACTIOXS AND PEOCEEDIXGS OF THE [Ress. lvih. 



P. fcetida ; the spikes are longer and solitary ; and the 

 stamens are twice as long as the corolla, whilst in P.fcctiO.a 

 they are only shortly exserted (X. E. Brown). 



Toba, Chigerdilc. 



A small tree abundant in the isolated patches of monte 

 around Fortin Page. Leaves began to appear i2th Aug., 

 flowers 30th Aug.; and by 2nd Sept. in full flower. 

 Completely deciduous. 



The fruit consists of curved legumes, 1 i-2 inches in 

 length, and when mature, of a dark brown colour and very 

 hard, and with a rough outer surface. The see* are 

 white, also extremely hard, and supported upon an 

 elongated flexible funicle. The brilliant colour of the seeds 

 and the rattling sound that is constantly produced by the 

 slightest wind, owing to the flexible funicle, makes the 

 fruit exceedingly conspicuous and apparently beautifully 

 designed for the attraction of birds. 



I, however, quite failed to find that anything of this 

 kind actually did take place. On the contrary, the tree 

 appeared to be scouted by animals, the leaves having a 

 very disagreeable alliaceous odour. I examined the 

 stomachs of many hundred birds in the region where the 

 tree grow.s, and not in a single case did I discover any of 

 its seeds among their contents. 



Prosopis julifloea, DC, var. 



Prov. Arg., Algarobo ; Toba, Kamup. 



This Algarobo is fairly common about Portin Page, 

 growing singly in the drier parts of the campo. In 

 general appearance and in habit, it resembles the Vinal, 

 but it is a smaller tree, and its spines are not of the 

 extraordinary size .so characteristic of the Vinal. 



The Algarobo furnishes in its dark red heartwood a 

 .strong and useful timber, while, growincr as it does in the 

 open campo, its broad and leafy head affords a refreshing 

 shade from the rays of the noon-day sun. It is, however, 

 for its fruit that it is especially noted, and from which it 

 gets its name of Algarobo, the Carob or Locust tree. 

 These fruits are long, curved pods about 8 inches in 

 length by f inch in breadth, whose soft and spongy tissue 

 contains very large quantities of grape sugar and of starch. 



