GOLD COAST REPORT ON FORESTS. 47 



inoister type and some extensive patches of such forest were 

 passed through in which the ordinary Dubini and the two species 

 of Pseudocedrela (the Punkiva and the Tiama-Tiama of the 

 natives) are quite plentiful. Other species noticed between 

 Brimang and Manso were the cosmopolitan Dahomah, Waw-waw, 

 Offram, Emril, Odoum, as well as examples of the Baku, KoJfoti, 

 and Funtumia elastica; the last, however, is confined to the 

 drier parts of the forests of which it now begins to form a con- 

 spicuous and important member. Beyond Agona the species of 

 Parkia, so plentiful in the moist forests further south, were 

 found to be getting scarce, and the same remark applies to the 

 Kaku and the N'yankon, which are practically absent from this 

 area. 



From Manso eastwards, almost as far as Princessu, we marched 

 through the drainage area of the Ankobra Eiver, which is 

 clothed about here with forests exactly similar in character to 

 those just described. 



On rich alluvial soil close to the banks of that river the 

 ordinary Gold Coast mahogany is very common indeed. Here 

 the age classes are well represented, and the forests are in a 

 satisfactory condition. Such areas are liable to be under water 

 during the flood season, and it is interesting to find that the 

 Gold Coast mahogany has the same partiality for localities 

 subjected to such inundations as its near congener Khaya 

 Punchii, the common mahogany of Southern Nigeria. 



These rich patches of mahogany forest are abundant in the 

 neighbourhood of Totonso on the Ankobra Eiver. 



What appears to be a fourth species of cedar (Pseudocedrela) 

 with very small capsules was met with in the forests between 

 the villages of Adwenyede and Supon. 



The most important characteristic of these forests on the 

 middle drainage, area of the Ankobra is the abundance of the 

 silk-rubber tree, Funtumia elastica. It is inclined to be gre- 

 garious about here, and the more densely-stocked areas generally 

 occur in regularly-defined belts. The richest forest of this species 

 that we came across is situated close to the village of Jauboa, 

 between it and Domiabra. A rough valuation survey along a 

 line 300 yards long and 44 yards wide, gave an average of 

 16 plants (one foot in girth and over) to the acre; a most extra- 

 ordinary high figure. Except for the irregular spacing, the 

 forest looked much like a thinly-stocked plantation. 



As usual, the tapping of these trees by the natives has been 

 much overdone, and large numbers of plants were found to have 

 been killed by the treatment they have received. Other latex- 

 yielding species, such as the Odoum (IroJco of Southern Nigeria), 

 Alstonia conqensis, and a small unidentified tree called Olcure 

 by the Fantis, that are found growing in the vicinity, have also 

 been tapped for the purpose of mixing their latices with that of 

 the Funtumia elastica. 



Yet another species of cedar (Pseudocedrela) was found close 

 to the village of Assawase. It has small capsules which open 



