THE THIEF PALM. 353 
I 
darker sorts of Galactite^ {lomentosa^ Mcench) which are plentiful 
thereabouts, though the plants do not at all resemble each other on a 
closer inspection. But that they have been growing fliere since Mas- 
son's time there can be no doubt. By help of a countryman we ga- 
thered twenty or thirty specimens. 1 could not get near enough to 
examine the stems well, but they seemed to be woody and perennial." 
I have not yet seen any of the specimens obtained by Captain Norman, 
but I entertain no doubt of their belonging to the long-lost plant 
in question^ the rediscovery of which after so many years is not less 
satisfactory than interesting. 
K. T. Lowe. 
Lea 'Rectory^ October 12, 1865. 
THE THIEF PALM {PIKENICOPHORUM SECHELLARUiM, 
Serm, WeyidL). 
"Recently a great deal of idle speculation has been going on, and 
some absurd guesses have been ventui-ed about the name of a spiny 
Palm from the Sechelles with simple leaves, which has now become a 
more frequent inmate of our gardens than it was when the circum- 
stance took place to which the genus owes ita name. There is 
no longer any necessity of making a mystery of the whole affair, 
after the person who had most reason to be annoyed at it thought 
proper to make himself a pointed public allusion to it, by imposing 
on the plant the name of PlioeuicopJiormn Sechellarum, which, fieely 
translated, mi2:ht be rendered ''the Palm derived or carried off from 
the Sechelles/' but which gardeners have now more literally rendered 
'* The Thief Palm' from the Sechelles." Some years ago, Mr. Hermann 
Wendland, of the Eoyal Botanic Gardens of HciTeuhausen, and Mr. 
John Smith, were looking over the collections at Kew with a view 
of exchanging plants, when Mr. Wendland's eye fell upon some 
small Palms, then cultivated there under the name of Areca Se- 
chdlarim. He expressed a wish to have, if possible, one of them 
for tlie rich palm-collection under his charge. There being only 
three small specimens, Mr. Smith could not make up his mind to 
accede to this at once, but told him that he would see about the 
matter. The two gentlemen then walked on, looking at other plants, 
