BOTANICAL NOTES. 291 



through whose agency the interiors of coral islets are stocked with 

 these large trees. Conspicuous amongst the trees is a species of 

 Canarium (the " ka-i " of the natives), the disgorged nuts of wliich 

 frequently strew the ground beneath ; a banyan (Ficus) with large 

 oblong fruits and another species with small spherical fruits ; other 

 ficoid trees with large buttresses, such as the " uri " ; a species of 

 Eugenia, probably a variety oi Eugenia jamhos ; together with several 

 other trees. 



This description of the vegetation of a coral islet brings me to 

 refer to the manner in which such an islet, which is usually of very 

 recent origin, has become stocked with its plants : and in so doing 

 I shall be treating of a very important matter, the oceanic dispersal of 

 plants. Fortunately for me, my notes and collections relating to this 

 subject had an increased value at the time of my arrival inEnglan(], 

 and in this respect I have been able to accomplish one of the 

 principal aims of a young traveller, that of supplying trustworthy- 

 materials to those engaged in the particular line of research to which 

 his notes and collections relate.^ 



The picturesquely wooded islets of these seas have been stocked 

 through two principal agencies. Winds and currents drift to their 

 shores the fruits and seeds of the littoral trees which ultimately 

 form the margin of the vegetation ; whilst the fruit pigeons disgorge 

 the seeds or fruits of those often colossal trees w^hich occupy the 

 interior. 



I will first refer to the former of these agencies. Lines of veo'e- 

 table drift, intermingled with floating pumice, are frequently obser- 

 vable whilst cruising among the islands of the Solomon Group. 

 The floatinoj fruits commonly found beloncj to the most familiar 

 littoral trees of this region, those of Barringtonia speciosa and 

 Calophylliim inophyllum being especially frequent ; and on more 

 than one occasion the solitar^^ fruits of the former were noticed at 

 sea by Lieutenant Oldharn and niyself at distances of from 130 to 

 150 miles to the southward of the group, being probably derived 

 from one of the islanJs of the New Hebrides to the eastward. 

 CHher fruits or seeds occurring frequently in the drift are those of 

 Nipa fruticans and of two or more species of Pandanus; numerous 



' Mr. Botting Hemsley was on the [.oint of completing bis report on the oceanic dispersal 

 of plants in connection with the Botany of the " Challenger "Expedition. Such of my collec- 

 tions, as referred to his work, were placed at his disposal by Sir Joseph Hooker ; and my 

 notes were incorporated in volume I. of the Botany of the " Challenger " (Part III. p. 309), ti> 

 which I must refer my readers who are more specially interested in this subject 



