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ful likeness, but it will serve to give an idea of tlie tree to 

 ttose who have never seen it. A duplicate of it, accompanied 

 by detailed descriptions both by myself and Mr. Home, was 

 sent to England by the November Mail, and I hopo shortly 

 to hear what scientific name this Palm is really to bear. 



For those members who may care to go into the point at 

 once, I append copies of these descriptions, together with 

 that of the real " Juhaea sjoectabilis " which I have extracted 

 from Kunth's Synopsis of the Plants collected by Humboldt 

 and Bonpland. 



The slightest comparison will shew the great discrepancies 

 that exist between the two. " Juhaea spectahilis " is stated 

 to be " Palma excelsa," a lofty palm, the Eound Island Tree 

 never exceeds 15 feet- The spathe surrounding the blossom 

 of the former is monophyllus, that of the latter has eight or 

 nine leaves,— the flowers difi'er in almost every particular. 

 The fruit of the one is a little cocoa-nut with three perfora- 

 tions at the top, that of the other a small green berry; — from 

 the latter, as well as other circumstances, indeed, I fully 

 expect to hear that the Eound Island Palm, turns out to be 

 after*^ all a species of Areca, an idea in which I have been 

 confirmed since it entered my mind, by learning from Mr. 

 Home that the somewhat similar Palm from Eodrigues 

 styled in Mr, Duncan's Catalogue " Juhaea sjjeciosa " has 

 been recently described in Holland under the name of 

 *' Areca yerschaffeltii." The second of the Eound Island 

 Palms, undoubtedly an Areca, so nearly resembles in its 

 aspect the " Areca Alba" the Clwu Pahiiste Blanc, of the 

 Colonists, that it was called by Colonel Lloyd by that name, 

 and has ever since been assumed to be identical as a matter of 

 course. 



It struck me however at once on seeing it in flower that 

 its red petals were quite difi'erent and Mr. Home on subse- 

 quent comparison has found other structural variations in 

 the blossom, as in the larger anthers, which incline him to 

 view it as a separate species. 



The third Palm which belongs to the Latania and is very 

 properly called " glaucoijlnjUa " from the blue color of its 



