THE rHiLirrixi'; islands 41 



as well as the destructive effects of climate. Djewoods 

 are abundant, and the sapan-wood, produced by Ccesal- 

 junia sappan, obtains the highest price in European 

 markets. Teak is found in Mindanao and also in the 

 Sulu group, although it is said not to occur elsewhere 

 in the Malay Archipelago except in Java and Sumbawa. 

 Gums, resins, and textile materials are also abundantly 

 produced. Miisa textilis is largely grown for its fibre, 

 which when prepared is known by the name of abaca 

 or Manila hemp. This, with sugar, forms the chief export. 

 The St. Ignatius's bean {Ignatia), yielding the deadly 

 poison strychnine, is commonly sold in the market at 

 Manila. Most of the fruits of the other Malayan 

 countries abound, excepting the mangosteen and durian. 

 For these a strictly equatorial climate appears to be 

 indispensable, and they only thrive in the extreme south 

 of the archipelago. 



If we pass to the fauna of the group we find that 

 it bears out to a great extent what may be surmised 

 from a study of the flora. Although generally agreeing 

 with the fauna of the larger Malay islands, that of the 

 Philippines exhibits some remarkable deficiencies. These 

 are most prominent in the mammalia, which are very few 

 in number as compared with those of Borneo or Java. 

 Thus, the numerous apes and monkeys of those islands 

 are represented in the Philippines only by the common 

 Macacus cynomolgus and the curious little Tarsier, one of 

 the lemurs. Of carnivora there are three species only, 

 two civets and a wild cat, — all the larger felines, the 

 weasels, bears, and wild dogs, being entirely wanting. Of 

 the Ungulates there is a wild pig, a mouse-deer, which is 

 confined to the Bornean islands, Balabac and Palawan, 

 three kinds of deer, and a very curious representative 

 of the Bovidce — Prohtihalus mindorensis, whose nearest 



