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1893.] A Vacation in the Hawaiian Islands. 19 
rience I became more and more familiar with its habits, I 
found it an easy matter to cultivate it with certainty and in 
profusion. 
Botanical Department, Cornell University. 
A vacation in the Hawaiian Islands. 
DOUGLAS HOUGHTON CAMPBELL. 
(Concluded from p. 416.) 
Of the trees of this lower forest region, much the most con- 
spicuous is the Aleurites Moluccana, a euphorbiaceous tree, 
called by the natives kukui, with pale silvery green foliage 
which makes it noticeable at a long distance. The large 
oily seeds are used as food; and, formerly at least, the ex- 
pressed oil was used for various purposes. Ai little higher up, 
the koa (Acacia koa), one of the commonest forest trees, 
abounds. This has phyllodia, like so many of the Australian 
acacias, and it is the principal timber tree, the wood being 
not unlike mahogany in appearance. Another conspicuous 
tree of the higher forest region is the ohia, or mountain apple 
(Eugenia Malaccensis), one of the Myrtacez, a medium-sized 
tree with beautiful crimson fruits not unlike a bell-flower 
apple in shape. The pulp is white and watery, pleasant to 
the taste, and very refreshing. Higher still, the related 
Metrosideros is very abundant, and with its grey-green 
leaves and scarlet feathery flowers is a striking object. 
Owing to the almost constant rains, most of the valleys are 
traversed by permanent streams, and the floors of these val- 
eys are very productive. Here are found the principal taro 
plantations. The taro plant (Colocasia antiquorum), familiar 
enough in American gardens under the name of Caladium 
esculentum, is the food staple of the great majority of native 
Hawaiians. Its large farinaceous tuber, after being deprived 
of its acrid properties by heat, is either directly baked or 
boiled for eating, or, more commonly, the baked taro is ground 
up with water into a sort of porridge, allowed to ferment, and 
served in the form of ‘‘poi”. This is a sticky, unpleasant- 
looking mess, which, nevertheless, appears to be very nutri- 
us. 
