M. Zollinger on the Vegetation of Java. 455 



1. the Lunima inammosa of Gaertncr (Marmalade-tree), the Mimus- 

 upa of Sthomburfik ; '_'. the White Boerowe, which is the Dipholis 

 giiliri/uliu of Alpli. DC, and is known in Jamaica as Galiinata ; 

 [\. the lliistard Boerowe, or Lowranero, which is the Bnmelia niyra 

 of Swartz ; and A. the Necsbcrry Bullet-tree, or Achras Sideroxylon 

 of l)otanists, which yields one of the best of the Jamaica woods. 

 Sajiota Mulleri grows abundantly on slightly elevated situations. 

 In collecting the milk, the trunk is surrounded with a ring of clay, 

 with elevated edges, and then au incision is made in the bark, as far 

 as tile liber. The milky juice Hows out immediately, and is collected 

 in the clay reservoir. The juice resembles in some respects the milk 

 of the cow ; it forms a pellicle on its surface, which is renewed after 

 removal. By the evaporation of the juice, we obtain 13 to 14 parts 

 in 100 of pure gutta percha. Six volumes of absolute alcohol, added 

 to ten of the juice, separates at once all the gutta percha which it 

 contains. Sulphuric aether acts more ra])idly than alcohol. The 

 juice is not coagulated by acetic acid. This Surinam gutta percha 

 is said to be sold at Amsterdam at the same price as the best gutta 

 percha of commerce. 



II. Veyetation around the Volcanic Craters of the Island of Java, 

 by M. II. Zollinger. — DeCandoUe, in his 'Geographic Botanique,' 

 has omitted to notice amono; vegetable stations those around volcanic 

 craters. In Java there are more than sixty of these craters, all iso- 

 lated and surrounded by vast virgin forests. When the craters are 

 active, and send forth lava (which is not the case with the Javanese 

 volcauos), or cinders, or sand and fragments of rock, or when they 

 exhale continually vapours and gases, then there is no vegetation 

 excej)t some Oscillarice, which are found in hot-water springs. It 

 is only when the direct volcanic action is diminished by the effect of 

 time, or the distance of the crater, that a special vegetation a])pears. 

 The craters of the Indian Archipelago are characterized by the ab- 

 sence of all parasitic or epiphytic plants, as well as of climbing and 

 twining plants. Woody plants only appear at a considerable distance 

 from the craters. We can easilv distinguish three different regions : 

 I. an interior zone, nearest to the centre of volcanic action; 2. a 

 middle zone, surrounding the first ; 3. an exterior zone. 



1. Interior zone. — This exhibits mostly small species, scattered 

 here and there, belonging to the lower orders of plants, and to those 

 having no corolla. Among these are — Oscilluria lubyrinthiformis, 

 .Ag. ?, in warm s|)rings ; Cludonia macilenta, Iloff., and Bacillaria 

 vbfusa, Schwr. ; some Fungi belonging to the genus Pobjjiorus ; a 

 Marrhuntiu ; two or three si)ecies of Mosses ; some Ferns, such as 

 Se/fiffuea Feii, Borg. ; Pobjiiodium triquetrum, Bl. ; Asplenium 

 macrophyllum, Bl. ; Asplenium viucronifnlium, Bl., and Gleichenia 

 rulcanicii, Bl. Among the Cyperaceae, Phucellanthus multijiorus, 

 Steud. ; and Polygonum corymhosum, Bl., is the only Dicotyledon. 



2. Middle region. — Many social Ferns occur here, some Dicoty- 

 ledons, for the most part small shrubby plants. Among the Ferns 

 are — Polypodiinn IIor.s/ieldii, R Br., 3000 to 8000 feet; Pteris 

 aurilu, Bl. ; Btechnuni pyrophitum, Bl. ; Gleichenia ferruyinea, Bl.; 



