— 64 — 



" 64. Of that number about 200 species are wliat may be 

 termed social weeds, occurring in all tropical countries. The 

 greater portion of tlie other half will find congeners in Mada- 

 gascar, Eastern Tropical Africa, Southern India, The Malay, 

 Polynesian or Oceanic Islands. 



" 65. The Seychelles Mora has no affinities to that of Mau- 

 ritus. The plants which are found in both are also common 

 plants in some or another of the countries above named, and . 

 in some instances in all of them. When the Flora of Mada- 

 gascar becomes better known, I anticipate that the Flora of 

 Seychelles will be found to be more nearly allied to it than 

 to any other. Relative distance between the places, similarity 

 of geological formation and climate point to such a conclu- 

 sion. So far as pabHshed information at my command goes, 

 the Seychelles Flora has more in common with that of East- 

 ern Tropical Africa than with the Flora of any other part of 

 the world. 



" 66. The specimens have been sent to Kew, and will doubt 

 lessly be described in the Flora of Mauritius and Seychelles 

 which is now in hand. 



"67. Four hundred species is certainly a small number of 

 plants for these Islands, but it must be borne in mind that not 

 one hundreth part of the land enjoys the shade of the Virgin 

 Forests. The axe and fires through needless recklessness and 

 inattention have wrought the mischief. Fires have again and 

 again swept over nearly all the Islands, and only the parts 

 near the tops of mountains, where showers are so frequent 

 that the vegetation seldom dries, have escaped their fury. 



" 68, From the large quantity of dry Palms and Pandani 

 leaves which litter the ground and hang on the trees, fires, 

 when once set going, must spread with gread rapidity. From 



