286 ROUND THE YEAR 



Trinidad, but more abundant in the delta of the 

 Amazon. 



It is highly satisfactory to be able to trace a long- 

 known drift-fruit to its native home. The interest is 

 increased by the peculiar structure of the fruit. It is 

 covered externally by a thin fleshy envelope, within 

 which is a shell, excavated by numerous large and 



FIG. 71. Fruit of Saccoglottis amazonica. From Nature, Nov. 21, 1895, after 

 Cruger. 



irregular cysts, which contain air and some resin. 

 Hence the fruit is very buoyant, easily impelled by 

 wind, and not easily water-logged. The tree grows 

 near running water, which can transport the fruits to 

 the sea, and so to distant shores. 



The Sacoglottis-fruit, in spite of its protection from 

 sinking, decay or destruction by animals, is not known 

 to have established itself in a new area within recent 



