THE FLORA AND THE FAUNA OF THE ISLANDS 
OF THE KRAKATAU-GROUP IN 1919 
BY 
W. DOCTERS VAN LEEUWEN. 
(Read before the First Congress of Natural Sciences, Batavia, 
Saturday, October 4th, 1919). 
(With Plates XIX—XXIV). 
LapIES AND GENTLEMEN. 
It was with much pleasure that I availed myself of the invi- 
tation to give you a survey of the present condition of the 
Flora and Fauna of Krakatau, in connection with the intended 
visit to that island and the smaller islands in the vicinity. The 
eruption of the Krakatau-voleano has been one of the most 
tremendous natural phenomena witnessed by those of the last 
two generations; Mr. Escner’s lecture has certainly brought this 
‘home very vividly to you all. 
Terrible as were the wounds inflicted by Nature in this 
catastrophe, yet she is likewise the grand healer. For 36 
years she has been engaged upon this restoration, and the 
visitor who is not a naturalist, deceived by the dense vege- 
tation now clothing the island, will fail to imagine and realize 
how at one time everything was destroyed and all plants and 
animals on these islands were annihilated. All is clad with a 
luxuriant flora, and it requires a closer inspection of the plants 
and flowers now extant there to bring to light that the restoring- 
process is still going on and that it will take many more years © 
before everything shall have returned to the old conditions of 
stability. The scope and object of this lecture is to sketch in 
broad outline some slight picture of Nature's labour in this one 
Of her workshops. oe : ae 
