300 . D. Prain— T/ie Vegetation of the Ooco Qronp. [No. 4, 



pi'esent is, as in the Andamans in such situations, the common N. Lotus 

 and not, as in the Great Coco, the red-flowered variety. On the banks 

 and extending into the water are considerable beds of Scirpus subulat%is 

 which does not occur in the other lake. Here on the other hand there 

 is neither Pohjgonum nor Hygrophila present. 



Beyond the coco-nuts the vegetable products of the island can 

 hardly be very highly assessed. Mimuso2:)s littoralis (Andamanese 

 Bullet-wood) is common and so is Lagerstroemia hypoleuca (Anda- 

 manese Pyen-ma) ; Ptercarpus indicus (Padouk) is rare however ; and 

 even of second- or third-rate timber trees such as Biospyros Kurzii (Zebra- 

 wood) ; Bipterocarpus sp. (Wood-oil trees) ; Heritiera (Sundi-i) ; there is 

 no great quantity ; the only bamboo found (Dendrocalamtis strictus var ?) 

 is not very valuable and is not abundant ; while the only abundant natural 

 grass {Andropogon contortus) is so uninviting that the cattle on the 

 island prefer eating Pandanus leaves to grazing it. 



In the subjoined list of the species obtained during the two visits 

 (which must not, however, be considered complete, thoiigh it may safely 

 be assumed to be representative of the vegetation of the islands), it will 

 be seen that a number of species are undetermined. As a matter of fact 

 they are probably mostly species hitherto undescribed, but owing to the 

 shortness of time at the writer's disposal, and owing to both the visits 

 being at the same season of the year, it was impossible to obtain com- 

 plete material of these, and it has therefore been impossible to prepare for 

 them specific descriptions. In some cases roots or seeds of these have 

 been brought to Calcutta and are now in cultivation there, so that their 

 identification will, it is hoped, only be a matter of time. 



In presenting this list the writer wishes to acknowledge much kind 

 assistance received by him in its preparation ; as regards Phanerogams, 

 from his friends Mr. W. B, Hemsley, F. E. s., who has kindly com- 

 pai'ed a number of the more critical specimeng at Ke\7 ; Mr. J. P. Duthie, 

 P. L. s., who kindly assisted him in naming the grasses, and Mr. J. S. 

 Gamble, f. l. s., who examined the solitary bamboo ; and as regards 

 Cryptogams, from Dr. G. King, F. R. s., who kindly assisted him in 

 determining the Ferns ; Mr. G. Massee, F. L. s , who, through the good 

 oflfices of Mr. Hemsley, kindly named the Fungi and supplied the des- 

 cription of a new species of Xylaria ; and Mr. G. R. Milno Murray, 

 p. L. s., who, through the intervention of Dr. King, most kindly examined 

 the Algoe. 



The list is followed by an analysis indicating its systematic, its 

 physical, and its phytogeographic nature. 



