78 



colony first found a congenial foothold, and from which it has 

 been forced by conditions of its own creating. This barren strip 

 will soon be utilized by man for the growing of crops, and, 

 indeed, the process has already begun, for at the very base of the 

 hill may be seen a small plantation of bananas. 



The illustrations accompanying this article were made from 

 photographs taken by the writer on his last journey to Haiti in 

 1905, and were secured about eighteen miles to the westward of 

 Cap Haiti en. 



Here then we have the story of the mangrove. One hardly 

 realizes as he stands looking at the fringe of one of these swamps 

 that a great work is being slowly but irresistibly carried on year 

 after year. Nor does he fully comprehend how well adapted 

 this plant is to its work, until he studies carefully the structure 

 of its fruit, and its method of forcing itself into the domain of 

 the waters, thus transforming them to the uses of mankind. This 

 work is going on in many parts of tropical America through the 

 agency of the plant known to botanists as Rhizophora Mangle, a 

 name given to it by Linnaeus in 1753. In other parts of the 

 world are other species of the same genus carrying on the iden- 

 tical work, so perhaps the magnitude of the result may be realized. 

 Not only is the mainland extended by this plant, but islands are 

 formed by it. Some of the floating hypocotyls become stranded 

 on reefs or in other shallow places. At first we have perhaps 

 but a single plant, such an one as is represented to the left of the 

 first illustration. This in time forms its network of roots, catch- 

 ing and retaining detritus, and finally is formed a small island, 

 which continues to grow as long as the mangrove can find con- 

 genial surroundings. In the shallow waters surrounding the 

 keys of south Florida many islands have been built up in this 

 way, and these in all stages of development may be seen there 

 now. 



There are other land-builders in the tropics, such as the minute 

 coral animals, but perhaps none can excel the mangrove in this 

 work, and certainly in none is the process more apparent. 



