152 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



especially if it was aided by a strong wind. There 

 is a westward and southerly return current or 

 "back wash" along the mainland and the Florida 

 Keys and throughout the entire region prevailing 

 winds are southeast; hence all the conditions 

 favor the landing of such seed-bearing timber on 

 our lower coasts. 



Along many tropical shores the waves indus- 

 triously undermine the forests carrying seed- 

 bearing trees to sea and if these are drifted into 

 this great ocean current they may be brought to 

 our shores. Beebe tells in a recent number of the 

 Atlantic Monthly of the great quantities of timber 

 and grass which the rivers of Guiana annually 

 bring down, and all such debris may bear seeds 

 of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Even 

 considerable islands of matted roots and living 

 vegetation float down these tropical rivers and 

 drift far out to sea. 



Some of these water-borne seeds retain their 

 vitality perfectly after a long voyage. Those of 

 at least three species of mucuna or ox-eye sea 

 beans; Entada scandens, the great brown sea bean; 

 the magnificent calaba tree {CalophyUum calaba) ; 

 two nicker beans (Guilandina) ; Canavalias and 



