EXPLANATORY INDEX, 377 



Bois Immortelle {Erythrina xmihrosa). — The following de- 

 scription of this splendid tree is given by C. Kingsley : — 



" Among the young cacao-trees, at some twenty yards 

 apart, are the stems of a tree looking much like an ash, 

 save that it is inclined to throw out broad spurs like a ceiba 

 (cotton- tree). You look up. and see that they are Bois Im- 

 mortelles, fifty or sixty feet high, one blaze of vermilion 

 against the blue 8ky. 



"Those who have stood under a Lombardy poplar in early 

 spring, and looked up at its buds and twigs, showing like 

 pink coral against the blue sky, and have felt the beauty of 

 the sight, can imagine faintly — but only faintly — the beauty 

 of this ' Madres de Cacao ' or Cacao-mothers, as they call 

 them here, because their shade is supposed to shelter the 

 cacao-trees, while the dew collected by their leaves keeps the 

 ground below always damp." 



Both scientific names of this gorgeous tree are appropriate. 

 The first is derived from a Greek word, signifying red, and 

 the second is Latin and means shady. The magnificent 

 flowers are greatly frequented by humming birds. 



BoNiTO {Telamys sarda). — This well known fish seldom 

 reaches a yard in length. Its fiesh is eaten, but does not 

 agree with many persons. One of my friends told me that he 

 once had several attacks of virulent nettlerash, before he found 

 out that he had been eating Bonito flesh. At the time, I was 

 suffering from violent rash caused by handling the beautiful 

 "canker-worm," i.e. the caterpillar of the gold-tailed moth, 

 and on seeing my face and hands, my friend thought that I 

 had been eiting Bonito to find out what it was like, and was 

 paying the price of curiosity. I never saw the flesh, but 

 am told by those who have often eaten it, that it is very red 

 and has much the look of fresh meat. The fish may be 

 recognised by the longitudinal brown streaks on the belly. 



BouRADi. See "Toucan." 



BuLETRE (Mimusojjs Balata). — Sometimes called Burueh. 

 One of the giant-trees of Guiana, with a reddish brown trunk^ 



