274 H. B. GUPPY, M.B., 
on the weather shores, but more often lined the margin of the 
lagoon, and are still frequent in these situations. Just 
within the line of these bushes on the shores of the lagoon, 
but sometimes immediately bordering the water, occurred 
forests of the Keeling Ironwood (Cordia subcordata). At 
present this tree is only scantily represented, the forests 
having been destroyed through the agencies of fire and 
of the axe. Another plant, Cwsalpinia Bonducella, that grew 
near the beach, is now rarely to be found. This is evidently 
the Guilandina Bonduc of the lists of Darwin and Forbes. 
In the interiors of the islands, and occasionally on their 
weather and lagoon shores, grew numbers of trees that have 
had to make way for the cultivation of the cocoa-nut palm, 
such as Pisonia (inermis?), Barringtonia speciosa, Ochrosia 
parviflora, Calophyllum inophyllum, Terminalia Catappa, Her- 
nandia peltata, and (ruettarda speciosa, ‘Two other trees pre- 
ferred the shores of the lagoon, namely, Hibiscus tiliaceus and 
Thespesia populnea; the first may still be often there 
observed, but Thespesia populnea has been almost extermin- 
ated, except in Horsburgh Island, where a few trees still occur. 
Barringtonia speciosa is at present only represented by a single 
tree in the interior of South Island, and by a few trees in 
the island immediately north of it. Similarly, Calophyllum 
inophyllum* is only saved from extinction by the sur- 
vival of a few trees in South Island. Yerminalia Catappa is 
also rare, and like Hernandia peltata, Pisonia (inermis ?), and 
Ochrosia parviflora, is only represented in a few localities. 
Guettarda speciosa still flourishes in some of the smaller 
islands, as in Pulu Kumbang, However, generally speak- 
ing, the extermination of the trees has been nearly effectual, 
and it is only here and there that a few survivors occur. 
Half a century ago the interiors of South and West Islands 
were largely occupied by tall forests of Hernandia peltata 
and Pisonia (inermis?). ‘These rapid growing trees have 
hitherto managed to resist total extermination; but the 
forests are gone and only individual trees remain. This is 
to be regretted. since the preservation in one island at least 
of the original flora would have added greatly to the attrac- 
tiveness of these islands. Even if only the forests of 
Terminalia Catappa, Pisonia (inermis?), Ochrosia parviflora, 
and Cordia subcordata, had been preserved in the Settlement 
* The proprietors of the islands have in past years planted in their 
garden Calophyllum inophyllum, Barringtonia speciosa, and some others 
nearly extinct in the state of nature. 
