04 



of it, probably, comes from the trunk of Metroxylon Sagu, the 

 true sago palm, which inhabits many of the islands of the Malay 

 Archipelago, This palm grows to a height of forty feet or more 

 and has a large comparatively smooth trunk, from the interior 

 of which the starch is derived. In the preparation of the sago a 

 full-grown tree is selected just before the expansion of the in- 

 florescence, the trunk is felled and cut into sections three or four 

 feet in length, which are thrown into water and soaked for several 

 days. Afterward, the outer fibrous portion is removed and the 

 interior is reduced to a coarse sawdust by means of a crude 

 grating apparatus. This sawdust-like powder is then put into a 

 large vessel where the starch is crushed out with the aid of water 

 and the feet of a native. It is then drawn off suspended in the 

 water and is finally dried and shipped away for refinement. 



Palm sugar is derived chiefly from the sugar palm {Arciiga 

 sacchariferd) and the cocoanut palm {^Cocos nucifcrd). The sugar 

 is obtained from the Arenga by binding the numerous branches 

 of the pendulous inflorescence into a compact cylinder, without 

 removing them from the tree, and then chopping off the ends and 

 making several incisions along the sides of the branches. The 

 sweet sap is caught in a vessel made from a bamboo-stem ; it 

 continues to flow for several days, is collected every twenty-four 

 hours, and is boiled down over a crude oven. 



The paper was brought to a close with remarks on mastica- 

 tories such as the betel-nut — the fruit of the Areca palm {ylrcca 

 Catechu) — and on some of the edible fruits, such as the durian 

 and mangosteen. 



Mr, G, V. Nash showed flowering species of Melastomaceae 

 from the conservatories of the New York Botanical Garden, 

 including one of Ilctcrocciitroti cUgaus from Mexico and one of 

 Medinilla inagnifica from the Philippines. 



Dr. N. L. liritton exhibited specimens of two apparently 

 undescribed species of poplar from Wyoming, one allied to 

 Populus tremuloidcs the other to P. aiigustifolia. 



Marshall A, Howe, 



Secretary pro tern. 



