BOTANY OF THE LACCADIVES. 273 



Alcock^ Surgeon-Naturalist to the Maviue Survey ;* these collections 

 were described in a preliminary notice of the Flora of the group by 

 the writer. t In November, 1889, the Investigator visited Kal- 

 peni J and Dr. Alcock again made a collection of the plants. Finally, 

 in November and December, 1891, the vessel re-visited Kiltan, 

 and visited Kadamum and Bitrapar, whence Mr. Hume had already 

 sent specimens^ as well as Akati andMiuikoi, two islands from which 

 specimens had not previously been obtained, § During these 1891 

 visits, Dr. Alcock and his assistant, Mr. Fleming, Apothecary on the 

 Investigator^ collected most assiduously the plants that were met 

 with, Mr. Fleming at the same time preparing a list of the species 

 under cultivation in the four inhabited islands visited. 



All the islands of the group are typical coral-islands, situated on 

 atoll-rings, of which each forms but a small portion, generally on 

 the eastern or leeward aspect of their respective reefs ; Anderut, 

 however, is situated on the windward side, the reef being to 

 leeward instead of to windward ||, while Akati and its two little 

 satellite islands, Bangaro and Tangaro, are inside a huge lagoon, 

 formed by a separate barrier-reef.1[ Three of the atolls are 

 mere open-reefs. The first of these is the Cherbaniani (called 

 also the Beliapani) reef, situated at the extreme north-west 

 corner of the Archipelago in Lon. 71° 55' E. and Lat. 12° 20' N., 

 minutely described by Mr. Hume** as a long oval atoll, 6 miles in 

 length by 2 j miles across, the reef consisting of an almost unbroken 

 line about 200 yards in width, just submerged at high-tide and more 

 or less dry at low-water, with two narrow shallow channels through it 

 on the eastern and one on the western side ; in three places, at 

 the extreme north, the extreme south, and about the middle of the 

 eastern side are piled-up masses of coral debris forming islets even 



* Alcock in Hoskyn, "Administration Repoi't of the Marino Survey of India," year 

 1889-90, p. 13. 



t Prain, " A List of Laccadive Plants"; " Scientific Mem. by Medical Officers of the 

 Army of India," pt. v., pp. 47-70 (1889). 



X Hoskyn, " Administration Report of the Marine Survey of India," 1889-90, p. 5. 



§ Gunn, " Administration Report of the Marine Survey of India," 1891-92, p. 3. 



II "Wood, " Journ. of the Roy. Geogr. Soc," vol. vi., p. 30. 



^ Hume, " Stray Feathers," vol. iv., p. 439. 



** "Stray Feathers," vol. iv., p. 428, with map. 



