45 



No. 112. Fruiting spadix of Hyphcene coriacea, (^aerfn., CASE 

 from Central Africa. gg^ 



Note swinging trays used for carrying baskets in South- 

 eastern Tropical Africa, made of leaves of //. cnnita, Gaertn. 

 Fruits of this species are also shown. 



No. 113. Drawing, illustrating the mode of collecting 

 palm wine from Hijphcene (probably //. crinita)^ on the 

 Zambesi. 



Observe also a cover made of the leaves of the same palm, 

 used for protecting the wounded trunk during the collection of 

 the juice. 



The lower portion of the Case contains mounted specimens 

 of fruits of //. thebaica, H. coriacea, and H. crinita. Also 

 fruits of H. Argu?iy Mart., from the Nubian desert. 



Tribe VI. Cocoine^. — No. 114. Ornamental hammock CASE 

 made at Tomo, on the Guiania, Brazil, from the cuticle of 5*7 

 the young leaves of the Tucum palm {Astrocaryum vulgare^ 

 Mart.). The palm grows to a height of from forty to fifty 

 feet, with a straight trunk six or eight inches in diameter, 

 covered with rings of thickly set black spines very closely 

 set together, indeed all parts of the palm bristle with sharp 

 spines. It is found on the forest land of the Amazon and 

 Eio Negro, and the only part of it used is tlie young unexpanded 

 leaves, the cuticle of which, when twisted, furnishes cordage 

 of extreme fineness, combined with great strength and dura- 

 bility. Some of the tribes on the Upper Amazon are said to 

 make all their hammocks of this fibre. Wallace, in his 

 Palms of the Amazons says, " the Brazilians of the Rio 

 Negro and Upper Amazon make very beautiful hammocks 

 of fine * tucum ' thread, knitted by hand into a compact 

 web of so fine a texture as to occupy two persons three or 

 four months in their completion. They then sell at about 

 3/. each, and when ornamented with the feather work 

 borders, at double that sum. Most of them are sent as 

 presents to Rio de Janeiro." 



No. 115. Sample of the cuticle from the young leaves, 

 torn into strips, and used for making cordage. From the 

 Rio Negro. 



Observe Indian boUows made of strips of leafstalks of the 

 Tucum palm, from the Rio Uaupes. 



No. 116. Neck ornament from the river Amazon, worn 

 by chiefs, made of a piece of quartz cut into a cylindrical form. 



