350 A NATURALIST IN THE PACIFIC CHAP. 



and Hawaii, shows signs of differentiation in nearly every group. 

 In Hawaii, where it is very rare and is only recorded from two of 

 the islands, it has developed a small-leaved variety. In Tahiti 

 it displays the same variation ; and Seemann observes that there 

 are differences between the Tahitian and Fijian species which may 

 be almost specific in value. It would also appear that both 

 in Hawaii and Tahiti the fruits have become less attractive to 

 birds, being described as " dryish " and " dry," which is, as Dr. 

 Seemann remarks, certainly not true of the Fijian plant. 



In Fiji the Eugenias, as small trees and shrubs, find their home 

 usually on the banks of streams and rivers, on the outskirts of 

 forests, and occasionally at the coast. One of them, E. richii 

 (Gray), is a characteristic littoral tree in the group. A tree near it 

 in character was found by me of common occurrence in the interior 

 of coral islets in the Solomon Group {Solomon Islands^ p. 297). 

 E. rariflora occurs also in the interior of coral islets in Fiji and 

 amongst the vegetation at the back of the mangrove-swamps. 



Coming to the mode of dispersal of the genus in the Pacific, I 

 may remark that all the species, with the doubtful exception of the 

 Fijian and Samoan Eugenia neurocalyx (the Lemba of Fiji), are 

 wild trees and shrubs useless to man, but much appreciated by 

 pigeons, pigs, &c., on account of their fleshy fruits. Since exact 

 observations on the possibility of their dispersal by currents 

 seemed to be wanting, I made some experiments in Fiji. Out of 

 six species, which included E. corynocarpa, rariflora, richii, and 

 rivularis, the mature fruits of most species sank in sea-water 

 in from seven to ten days. However, those of the beach tree, 

 E. richii, floated for a fortnight. The cause of sinking in all cases 

 lay in the decay of the outer fleshy covering. As I have observed 

 in river and sea drift, fish bite at the floating fruits, and in this 

 manner the seeds would soon be liberated and sink. The seeds of 

 all the plants sank at once in my experiments except with one 

 species, where the seed loosely filled its test and thus a floating- 

 power of a few days was acquired. Currents, it is apparent, could 

 never account for the dispersal of the genus over a broad extent of 

 ocean, though in a few cases, as in that of the littoral tree above 

 noted, it is quite possible that the fruits could be successfully 

 transported across a tract of sea 200 or 300 miles in width. 



It has long been known that fruit-pigeons are fond of the fruits 

 of wild species of Eugenia, and I found the Solomon Islanders and 

 the Fijians well acquainted with the fact. The fruits of a tall 

 Eugenia tree, near E. richii, common in the interior of the 



