138 PALMS. 



brown tint, fading into bright golden at its base. It is not till 

 the tree has attained a mature age that its broad fan -like 

 leaves begin to detach themselves from the stem ; they climb 

 from the ground to its summit in spiral convolutions, forming 

 a dense cover for many animals — ichneumons, squirrels, and 

 monkeys, that resort to it for concealment. In these hiding- 

 places the latter might easily defy the sportsman ; but they 

 frequently fall victims to a silly curiosity, for when he is ac- 

 companied by his dog, they cannot resist the temptation of 

 watching the animal's movements, and, coming forth to peep, 

 expose themselves to a fatal shot. 



The stalks of the decayed leaves remain partly attached to 

 the trunk, affording supports to a profusion of climbing and 

 epiphytic plants, which hide the stem under a brilliant tapestry 

 of flower and verdure. 



The palmyra rivals the cocoa-nut and the gomuti by its 

 many uses, and Hindoo poets celebrate the numerous blessings 

 it confers upon mankind. 



When the spathes of the fruit-bearing trees exhibit them- 

 selves, the toddy-drawer forthwith commences his operations, 

 climbing by the assistance of a loop of flexible jungle-vine, 

 sufficiently wide to admit both his ancles and leave a space 

 between them, thus enabling him to grasp the trunk of the 

 tree with his feet and support himself as he ascends. Having 

 pruned off the stalks of fallen leaves, and cleansed the crown 

 from old fruit-stalks and other superfluous matter, he binds the 

 spathes tightly with thongs to prevent them from farther 

 expansion, and descends, after having thoroughly bruised the 

 embryo flowers within to facilitate the exit of the juice. For 

 several succeeding mornings the operation of crushing is 

 repeated, and each day a thin slice is taken off the end of the 

 racemes, to facilitate the exit of the sap and prevent its 

 bursting the spathe. About the eighth morning the sap begins 

 to exude, an event which is notified by the immediate appear^ 

 ance of birds, especially of the " toddy bird," a species of shrike, 

 (AiHamus fuscus), attracted by the flies and other insects 

 which come to feed on the luscious juice of the palm. The 

 crows, ever on the alert when any unusual movement is in pro- 

 gress, keep up a constant chattering and wrangling ; and about 

 this time the palmyra becomes the resort of the palm- 



