FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 315 



House, Kew, which I was fortunate to be able to 

 supply from the Gold Coast. 



To allow of appreciation of the difficulty of securing 

 information, I was amused by a description of a tree 

 given to me by an influential native near Lagos. I 

 saw suspended round his neck a piece of dark- 

 coloured wood, shaped as a heart, representing a 

 " fetish " symbol, he himself being a " fetishman." 

 Thinking it ebony, I asked the wearer what he 

 knew of it He replied that it was from a very 

 wonderful tree, which necessarily grew in an isolated 

 position, its influence being so great as to prevent 

 anything from growing near to it. He even added 

 that if a man were to walk under it, and an ant 

 fell from the tree on him, he would instantly become 

 a eunuch — veritable upas tree ! ! 



Of the Colony of Lagos, among the chief com- 

 ponent parts of its forests are to be found the 

 following specimens, which were contributed there- 

 from by me, ably assisted by Dr. Rowland, in 1883, 

 to the Royal Gardens, Kew : — 



Tetracera obiusata, PI. forma. 

 Monodora tenuifolia, Benth. 

 Cissampelos Pareira, L. 

 Gynandropsis ^entaphylla, DC. 

 Ritchiea polyp etala, Hook. f. 

 lonidiimi enneasper7nujii, Vent. 

 Oncoba glauca. Hook. f. 

 Carpolobia alba ? Don. 



Two detached flowers only — apparently of Allanblackia 

 floribunda, O. 



