142 
rubber plant in West Africa. The rubber is obtained by cutting 
off portions of the bark in strips varying in length from 3 to 10 
yere The cuts are made sufficiently deep to reach € latex 
canals, and soon the stile juice starts out in drops and gathers on 
the rrr iva ifie: The rubber of m Landolphia remis 
on exposure to the air and requires no preparation other th 
rolling it up into balls. *A — of the milk is first dabbed 
on the forearm of the operator, and being peeled off forms a 
“ nucleus of the ball. This oa is applied to one after another 
th i 
* also a large quantity of Oe nee milk is drawn out from 
* beneath the uncut bark, and during the pro uus à break in the 
“thread rarely occurs.” [Kew Report, 1880, p. 40.] 
Another method of collecting West African uS is described 
as follows : The blacks wipe off the milk with their fingers and 
or le ess 
agglu awed masses of small cubes. Specimens of su ad rubber 
are shown in the Kew Museums under the name of Thimble 
rubber [25., p. 59]. 
The nan antity of rubber exported annually from West Africa 
from British and obor Fposessdiops is about 30,000 cwt. The value 
in 1885 was £265,6 
It appears that in some districts, such as the Gaboon, owing to 
the erties dto of rubber vines the trade is becoming less 
ry y i 
There an dobitie other plants in Ta Africa from which 
commercial rubber as be obtained. The Mbungu rubber plant 
ndolphia florida, Bth. This is distributed over = whole of 
Central Tropical Africa. ohare are also several species of Ficus, 
the original genus yielding commercial rubber, which daero to 
be investigated. 
We are glad to find that following the Seg o Arep of 
— of song Colony of Lagos, Captain A. C. Moloney, C.M.G. 
Mr. illso: n, Commissioner of the Western District residing 
caragua the p 
of Castillon elastica. A contribution on this latter subject from 
Mr. Millson will be found in the e ad Bulletin for ue month of 
Deecember.1887, p. 14 [p. 172]. 
