221 



Belvidere pastures, St. Thomas in the East, was established from posts 

 fixed in the earth, in making a common rail fence. Perhaps no tree 

 in the world has a more lofty and imposing appearance, whether over- 

 topping its humbler companions in some woody district, or rising in 

 solitary grandeur in some open plain. Even the untutored children 

 of Africa are so struck with the majesty of its appearance that they 

 designate it the God-tree, and account it sacrilege to injure it with the 

 axe ; so that, not unfrequently, not even fear of punishment will in- 

 duce them to cut it down. Even in a state of decay, it is an object 

 of their superstitious fears : they regard it as consecrated to evil 

 spirits, whose favour they seek to conciliate by offerings placed at its 

 base." 



Ceiha pentandra is one of the {&\\ tropical trees which has de- 

 ciduous leaves, though its habits in this particular are somewhat 



Figure 3. Base of a Ceiba growing on the bank of a river in the city of Ponce, 

 Porto Rico. Photograph taken in June, 1903. Reproduced by courtesy of the 

 Journal of the New York Botanical Gardett. 



erratic — a matter that has recently been discussed in an inter- 

 esting way by Mrs. E. C. Anthony,* by Mr. O. W. Barrett,t and 

 by Mr. O. F. Cook.| The leaves usually begin to fall at about 



*Am. Botanist 3 : 90. 1902. 

 fAm. Botanist 4 : 91. 1903. 

 j Plant World 5 : 171. I902. 



