ANTHROPOLOGIGAL SOCIETY 
THE DISPERSAL OF PLANTS. 
OF WASHINGTON, D.C 
*Hernandia peltata, Meissn. Crinum asiaticum. 
Cycas circinalis, Linn cca pinnatinda, 
*Pandanus, sp. Spinifex squarrosus, Linn. 
297 
Note——Most of the plants in the above list I was already familiar with. 
I am, however, indebted to Dr. Treub and to the officials at Kew for the 
identification of the specimens belonging to those of which I was uncertain, 
namely, Triumfetta subpalmata, Cerbera odollam, Calotropis gigantea, 
' Premna obtusifolia, Hernandia peltata, Cycas circinalis, Crinum asiaticum, 
Tacca pinnatijida, and Spinifex squarrosus. 
NOTE ON THE VEGETABLE DRIFT OF THE SOUTH COAST OF 
WEST JAVA, 
The drift fruits and seeds that came most frequently 
under my notice on this coast were those of Terminalia 
hatappa, Cerbera odollam, Pandanus sp., Calophyllum inophyl- 
lum, Heritiera littoralis, with numerous beans, most of them 
familiar to me amongst the drift on the beaches of the 
Cocos-Keeling Islands, especially Mucuna macrocarpa.. The 
fruits of Barringtonia speciosa rarely came under my observa- 
tion. ‘There were also several other fruits and seeds; and 
amongst them I picked up on the beach a seed of Crinum 
asiaticum In a germinating condition. Amongst those of less 
frequent occurrence were the triangular seeds of Carapa 
moluccensis, and the hard black seeds of Aleurites moluccana. 
On the south coast of Bantam in the vicinity of Malingping 
I found on the beaches numbers of acorns of a species of 
Quereus which occur also amongst the drift of the Cocos- 
Keeling Islands; the tree is found in the interior of Java, 
amongst other localities, in the elevated region of the 
Genteng Promontory. 
In all probability the great majority of these drift fruits 
and seeds were derived from trees on the same coast; some, 
however, were brought down by the rivers from the interior 
of Java, there being usually an accumulation of the seeds 
and fruits of non-littoral plants on the beaches at the mouths 
of the rivers. The importance of the agency of rivers in 
bringing down to the sea the fruits and seed-vessels of in- 
land plants is, I think, rather apt to be overlooked. Such an 
agency readily explains the occurrence of the fruits or 
seeds of inland as well as cultivated plants, as the Quercus, 
sp. (above mentioned), Pangium edule, &c., amongst the drift 
of the Cocos-Keeling Islands. 
Although, as above stated, the great majority of the 
fruits and seeds of the vegetable drift are evidently 
derived from the trees on the same coast, since they may he 
