450 On the Cocoa-nut of the Seychelles Islands. 
manufacture, The shell is about equal in hardness to that of 
the ordinary cocoa-nut, and equally susceptible of a fine polish. 
It is from ;4;th to =8;ths of an inch in thickness. 
The foregoing simple account of the Lodoicea Seychellarum 
proves it to be a most interesting plant in a scientific poimt of 
view, and a very valuable one in an economical one. It is there- 
fore well worthy of the attention of the Government, as well as 
of private individuals, to use means, not only to prevent its 
extinction, but to favour its propagation. 
At a recent meeting of the Linneean Society (Nov. 3) letters were 
read from Sir H. Barkly, K.C.B., Governor of the Mauritius, and 
from Swinburne Ward, Esq., Civil Commissioner, in reply to the 
memorial of the Linnean Society relative to the wanton destruction 
of the Coco-de-Mer (Lodoicea Seychellarum). 'The Commissioner 
had.-reported to his Excellency that, although in many parts where 
the palm abounded it has been destroyed by accidental conflagration 
and by ruthlessly cutting it down to make room for Mandioc culti- 
vation, yet that on the southern point of the island of Praslin he 
had found a valley surrounded by hills on the property of Mr. Camp- 
bell, the sides and crests of which were covered with the Lodoicea, 
several hundred in number, and in all stages of growth, from the 
sharp sword-shaped spathe just shooting from the ground to trees of 
120 feet high. He ascertained that though no nuts were planted, 
some were allowed to remain and take root where they fell. The 
leaves of the male plants are cut for the sake of the material they 
afford, and which is used for making hats and baskets; but those of 
the male only, which preponderates over the female, are so cut. 
Cutting the leaves prevents the blossoming of the trees ; but inacces- 
sible specimens, which flower undisturbed, are quite sufficient to fe- 
cundate all the female plants in the district. In Curieuse compara- 
tively few trees were found, and these smaller than those of Praslin; 
but directions have been given to keep up the supply by planting 
germinating nuts—in fact, to plant all the germinating nuts that can 
be found. A Coco-de-Mer with a healthy germ a foot long had been 
forwarded to Kew. The Governor stated that, as Praslin is almost 
entirely private property, the Government could only interfere in the 
way of exhortation and remonstrance, but that in Curieuse, which 
is still vested in the Crown, and used for a purpose which renders it 
inaccessible to the public, he trusted there would be no danger, under 
any circumstances, of the extinction of this interesting species. 
