Natural History of the Coco-nut Tree, &c. 317 



piece, marked with sutures which form a ridge sometimes 

 more and sometimes less prominent ; it has in its lower part 

 a hole called the eye, through which the germ issues : it 

 exhibits also the figure of two more; which may have made 

 some naturalists, deceived by the appearance, imagine that 

 it has three. 



Tn the East Indies there are known seven different species 

 ef the coco-nut, without comprehending that called, impro- 

 perlv, the sea coco-m/t, and which naturalists believe to be 

 indigenous in the archipelago of the Maldives, though it 

 grows only in the Scchelle isles. This coco-nut forms a 

 particular species verv distinct from that cultivated either 

 in Ilindostan, in the other countries of the East Indies, or 

 in the islands of the Asiatic seas. I make use of the word 

 species, and not variety, that I may expressly conform to the 

 sianification of the word received in botany to denote those 

 individuals which always retain the same configuration. 



No distinguishing characters between the species here 

 mentioned can be drawn cither from the palms, the sheaths, 

 or the tiowcrs of the vegetable, their Hgure and form being 

 absolutely the same. These characters can be taken only 

 from the configuration of the I'ruit, which never varies and 

 never changes m whatever country or soil the tree may be 

 cultivated. As no naturalist who has travelled in that part 

 of the world where this useful and beautiful tree grows has 

 described these species, I shall supply this deliciLncy by 

 exact descriptions taken from their proper characters after 

 a number of observation?, and 1 shall leave it to masters in 

 the science to denominate antl designate them in their sy- 

 nonymies. 



There are three kinds cultivated in Kindostan ; four more 

 are cultivated in the isles of the seas which lie adjacent to 

 this country, rendered so rich by its productions, by the 

 industry of its inhabitants, and by the mildness of its cli- 

 mate. 



1st, The coco- tint of the coast of Coromandel exhibits a 

 hu<;k very smooth and sinning, of a reddish yellow colour, 

 on which account it is called by the Hindoos the Bramia 

 (.oco-niit, because it approaches near to tlie colour ol the 

 skin of tlie individuals of that cast. The sutures opposite 

 to the side on which the eye is placed are more swelled 

 towards the base, a part which is also more Hattened than 

 that oppo:,itc to it even when enveloped in its husk. 



2d, The coco-i2ut of Canara, a country situated between 

 the two branches of the double chain of the Gauts, very 

 high mountains which e.xt^niJ tiiruugh tliu peninsula of 



India 



