74 THE WORLD OF LIFE CHAP. 



Java with a much larger number of phanerogams, e.g. the small 

 island of Noesa Kambangan near Tjilatjap. On that island I 

 collected on an area of about 3 square kilometres ( = i^ square mile) 

 600 of arborescent species of phanerogams, and about 1800 species 

 of not-arborescent species. This island is about 0-50 m. altitude 

 (=164 feet). 



"On Mount Pangerango, between 5350 feet and the top, 10,000 

 feet, the number of forest-trees is about 350 species on the same 

 area, and about 1400 species of not-arborescent phanerogams." 



On reading the above, I thought at first that Dr. 

 Koorders must have made a mistake, and have meant to 

 write 30 instead of 3 square kilometres. So I wrote to 

 him again asking for some further information, and pointing 

 out that Kambangan Island was many times larger than the 

 area he had given. To this he replied that he " only explored 

 a small part methodically," and that the number of species 

 he gave me " were found in that part only." l It thus became 

 clear that no mistake had been made. I was further satisfied 

 of this by referring to a small volume by M. Jean Massart, 

 entitled Un Botaniste en Malaisie. He there describes the 

 " mountain reserve " on Pangerango as being 300 hectares of 

 virgin forest, extending from the limits of cultivation to near 

 the summit. As " 300 hectares " is the same area as " 3 

 square kilometres," there can be no doubt as to the figures 

 given. M. Massart also states that Dr. Koorders was head 

 of the " forest-flora " department of the Buitenzorg Botanical 

 Gardens, and that he had established eighteen other reserves 

 in various regions of Java. Each of these reserves is under 

 a native superintendent, who allows no tree to be cut down 

 without orders, and watches for the flowering and fruiting of 

 every species of tree. One specimen at least of all the species 



1 It may seem to some readers, as it did at first to myself, that it is impossible 

 to have over two thousand species of flowering plants growing naturally on about 

 a square mile. But a little consideration will show that it is by no means so 

 extraordinary as it seems. Let us suppose that the average distance apart of 

 trees in an equatorial forest is ten yards, which I think is much more than the 

 average ; then in a square mile there will be 176 x 176 = 30,976 trees. But in 

 Kambangan Island there are 600 species of trees in i^ square mile, so that 

 each species would be represented on the average by 60 individuals. But, as 

 some are comparatively common, others rare, there would in some cases be only 

 3 or 4 specimens, while many, having from 50 to 100, would be really abundant, 

 but, if fairly scattered over the whole area, even these might require searching 

 for to find two or three specimens ; which accords with the facts as testified by 

 all botanical travellers. 



