THE HISTORY OF THE INVESTIGATION 13 



cases, this led to another inquiry into the relation between 

 the number of seeds and the size and weight of the fruit, 

 which ultimately supplied me with materials for a special 

 chapter. 



Whilst in Grenada I spent some weeks at the Grand Etang 

 in the mountainous interior of the island. My attention here 

 was occupied with many things in the surrounding forests ; 

 but I was particularly interested in studying the habit of 

 growth and the maturation of the fruit and seeds of Diocka 

 reflexa^ a leguminous climber, the seeds of which are amongst 

 those stranded by the Gulf Stream on the western shores of 

 Europe. The method of preparation of the seed for its 

 Trans-Atlantic voyage and the opportunities it possessed of 

 starting on its way were points of special interest for me. 



To give an idea of my mode of work in the West Indies My work- 

 I will describe my work-room at St George's, Grenada. . . . 

 Hanging from nails on the walls to dry were the ripe fruits 

 of Cassia fistula^ Entada polystachya, and Hura crepitans (the 

 Sandbox tree). On the window sill exposed to the sun were 

 the opening fruits of Ravena/a madagascariensls^ displaying the 

 beautiful blue arils of the seeds and completing the process 

 of dehiscence which they had commenced on the tree. On 

 the sill of another window were the large square fruits of 

 Earrlngtonla speciosa in various stages of drying, all of which, 

 together with the fruits above mentioned, were methodically 

 weighed from time to time. On the table where I wrote were 

 placed at one end my balance and at the other end my copper 

 oven for the determination of the water-contents of seeds and 

 fruits. Close beside me lay a saucer containing the seeds of 

 Diocka reflexa from the green pod, which were silently illustrat- 

 ing the coloration process of leguminous seeds. In other 

 saucers around me lay a variety of seeds, all of them either 

 under observation or destined for future experiment, such as 

 the seeds of Barringtonia, Entada^ Enter oloblum^ Monstera, and 

 El<eis. 



In a large press were two extensive series of pods of 



