— 142 — 



Mb Baker said that his work with regard to the 

 specimens had been to identify them as far as he 

 could. With regard to a considerable number the 

 identifications were positive, but as to some of them 

 further materials were required. With regard to the 

 aloes to which Dr Parker had alluded and from which 

 was procured a medicinal product which was used in 

 the hospitals of Madagascar,— the name of this plant 

 was the Aloe Sahundra. This was the native name, 

 and it had been adopted by Bojer as the specific name 

 It was not known what the leaves of the plant were 

 like, but the species was evidently a distinct one 

 confined to Madagascar, the flower-characters being 

 very peculiar. With regard to the Mundulea, which 

 had been used as a fish poison, he had no doubt that 

 it was efficacious for that purpose. Mundulea was an 

 extremely close ally of the genus Tephrosia, and to 

 that species belonged one of the most celebrated fish 

 poisons in the world, Tephrosia toxicaria ; and it was 

 used as such in the tropics generally. It stupefied the 

 fish so that they could be caught, bat it in no way 

 spoiled them as an article of food. He should not 

 like to resume his seat without expressing his high 

 estimate of the work which Dr Parker had performed. 

 Madagascar was the third largest island in the world, 

 the only two which were larger being Australia and 

 Borneo. Madagascar was about as large as France, or 

 about seven or eight times the size of England and 

 Wales together. Its fauna and its flora were both 



