516 MR. J. J. LISTER ON THE NATURAL, [DeC. 4, 



which is pecuhar to the island. Almost impenetrable thickets of 

 a species of screw-pine grow on the shore-cliff in many places, and 

 beds of another species with long arching leaves, more than six feet 

 in length, often occur in the higher part. 



Within the hne of shore-plants the high bush begins and extends 

 to the summit. Many of the trees are of great size, frequently, I 

 believe, attaining 200 feet in height. Several of them send out 

 buttresses at the base, which often stretch far out from the tree along 

 the ground. This was particularly noticed in one of the tallest trees, 

 which always went by the name of "the buttress-tree." "We only 

 found it in fruit and young bud, but Prof. Oliver tells me that it 

 belongs to the Order Myrtacese, and is a species peculiar to the 

 island. Another Myrtaceous tree, Barringtonia racemose/, was con- 

 spicuous with its beautiful hanging racemes of white flowers. Eiy- 

 thrina indica, a Leguminous tree with fine clusters of large crimson 

 flowers, also occurred, and a Rubiaceous shrub, Randia densiflora, 

 with small whitish fragrant flowers, was common. Many kinds of 

 epiphytal and climbing plants were abundant, among which a new 

 species of Hoya (the wax-flower of greenhouses) was one of the most 

 conspicuous, festooning the trees and rocks with its shining fleshy 

 leaves and hanging umbels of crimson and pink flowers, and its 

 tough though slender stems formed one of the commonest obstacles 

 to our progress through the bush. 



The great Birds' Nest Fern (^Asplenium nidus), with its fine crown 

 of long arching fronds, was one of the greatest ornaments of the 

 woods, growing on a fallen tree or high aloft on a branch. 



Altogether some .50 species of flowering plants were obtained. 

 These have been examined at Kew, and several appear to belong to 

 new species. Sixteen kinds of ferns were collected, and two of them, 

 an Acrostichum and an Asplenium, are peculiar to the island. 



In concluding this brief account of the plants of Christmas Island, 

 I may mention a minute myxoraycetous fungus which was growing 

 on a damp log. When I brought it home and showed it to my 

 father, he pronounced it to be Bictydium cernuum, a specimen of 

 which, as it happened, he had obtained two days before in a wood 

 near London, a remarkable instance of the wide range of these minute 

 spored organisms. 



V. MAMMALS. 



Pteropus natalis, Thomas, P. Z. S. 1887, p. 511, pi. xh. 



Specimens of this fruit-eating Bat were obtained during the visit 

 of the ' Flying-Fish,' and so named by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, who 

 found it to be a new species, most closely allied to one from Lombock. 

 There was a tree in Flying-Fish Cove where they used to hang up 

 during the day, but gome were often seen flying over the tree-tops 

 in bright sunlight, and then they appeared of a rich brown colour, 

 owing to the semitranspareucy of the wings. 



A small insectivorous Bat also exists on the island (seen by Dr. 

 Dunlop, E.N., and myself), but no specimens were obtained. 



