THE COCOA-NUT PALM. 9-5 



The southernmost island of the group differs from 

 No. IV. in being hig-her and more rocky. Many 

 of the trees here were very large, straight, and 

 branching only near the top. It appeared to me 

 that they would be highly useful as timber, and so 

 regretted being unable to procure specimens, on 

 account of their great height. With the exception 

 of a low sandy portion, overgrown with shrubs and 

 small trees, the remainder of the island is quite free 

 from underwood. Two small clumps of cocoa-nut 

 trees, loaded with fruit, were found on the eastern 

 side of the island, within reach of the spray, in a 

 place where they might have originated from a 

 floating nut or two thrown upon the beach. This 

 is the only instance in which I have seen this useful 

 plant growing wild in any part of Australia, or the 

 islands strictly belonging to it. We succeeded in 

 shooting down a number, and I know no more 

 grateful beverage than the milk of a young cocoa- 

 nut, especially under the influence of tropical noon- 

 day heat, on an island where there was not a drop 

 of fresh water to be found. As usual the megapodius 

 was plentiful, and one of our party killed six in a 

 few hours. I also shot a fine large crested pigeon, 

 of a species hitherto considered peculiar to the 

 settled parts of New South Wales, and to which 

 the singularly inappropriate specific name of Antarc- 

 ticus is appHed ; it thus ranges 380 miles within the 

 tropics. 



June 20th. — Fitzroy Island. After anchoring for 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



