Dr. E. P. Wright on Lodoicea sechellarum. 343 
trees, and to conclude with a few words on the introduction of 
this palm into Europe. In March, 1864, Sir W. J. Hooker 
read to the Linnean Society extracts from a letter from 
Mr. Swinburn Ward relating to the Coco de mer, which con- 
cluded with the statement that ‘“ not many years will 
elapse before the Coco de mer becomes in reality as rare as it 
was supposed to be when picked up at sea by the wondering 
mariners; and the only relics left of its former magnificence 
will be the decaying stumps of the trees, so wantonly de- 
stroyed, and the curious sockets in which they stood for so 
many years.” This statement naturally alarmed all bota- 
nists; and, at the request of the Linnean Society, Mr. Ward 
kindly visited both Praslin and Curieuse for the purpose of 
examining into the subject a little more closely, and came to 
the conclusion that, although many hundreds of this palm- 
tree had been destroyed on the north-west of Praslin, yet 
that several large forests still remained, and that the tree was 
not at all likely to become extinct. 
The island of Praslin lies nearly north-west and south-east; 
a range of mountains, some 1500 feet in height, runs from 
one end to the other of the island. It is several miles broader 
on its south-eastern than on its north-western side; and here 
there is a large deep bay, in the mouth of which stands a little 
island, called Isle Ronde. On the eastern side of Praslin lies 
Isle Curieuse, separated from Praslin by a strait from half a 
mile to a mile in width. In the midst of the mountain-range 
on Praslin there are several deep valleys, where for the most 
part the indigenous flora is still untouched. It would appear 
that the Lodoicea is indigenous on Curieuse, Praslin, and the 
little Round Island, and that wherever else it is met with on 
the Seychelles it has been planted by the hand of man. On 
Isle Ronde only two or three are to be met with. On Curieuse, 
which is government property, a large number of trees are to 
be found, chiefly on the northern side of the island. On the 
southern side the soil is very poor, and there is but little of it 
(for, the underwood here having been destroyed, the soil has 
been to a great extent washed away), and the Lodoicea grows 
to a height of not more than from ten to twelve feet; on the 
northern side, however, there are some very fine trees. This 
island is the seat of a leper-establishment, perhaps the only one 
ever supported by the British Government. It would appear 
that, shortly before the passing of the Act for the emancipation 
of slaves in the British Colonies, it had been represented to 
the then Ministers of the Crown that very many unfortunate 
lepers were living in a state of utter destitution on many of 
the smaller coral islands so numerous in the Indian Ocean. 
