228 A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



chiefs of the district, I started for the crater of the mountain. 

 The path lay through a very gently rising stretch of forest, 

 abounding in TJrosUgma trees, alternating with bamboo clumps, 

 but with almost no undergrowth, except low grass and a few 

 herbs. Where the mountain began to ascend more steeply, 

 we entered a dense thicket of tall reedy grass and fern tangle, 

 through which there would have been no possibility of pro- 

 gressing had I not sent men on several days before to make 

 a path. So tall was the grass that merely a tunnel could 

 be excavated in it, through which we half walked half crept, 

 aTid along which the baggage was dragged only with the 

 utmost difficulty. Above this we encountered many Tern- 

 stroemaceas, with large white and rose-coloured corollas, scented 

 laurel (Tetranihera citrata) whose sweet perfume filled tlie 

 air, and small trees called by the natives Balik-sumpa, from 

 whose fruits necklets are made for children to wear as charms. 

 When a youth and a maiden have plighted their troth by an 

 oath, or indeed made any oath before their marriage, they 

 make for their first child a necklet of the fruit of this 

 tree, in order that no harm may overtake it on account 

 of their oath ; the name implies " Averter of the oath." 

 Above this the mountain presented a singular appearance. 

 With the exception of a species of Pandan, there were no more 

 trees to be seen, only low shrubs of a pretty species of honey- 

 suckle, which gave the mountain the appearance of being 

 heather-clad, thickly, interspersed with a taller species of pink 

 Melasioma with a profusion of immense flowers nearly three 

 inches in width, giving the landscape the appearance of being 

 set with wild rose-trees. These fine shrubs accompanied us 

 quite to the summit. Just about their commencement the 

 leeches which had attacked our limbs without mercy ceased to 

 be found ; on the Dempo they drew the line at 7500 feet. 



A large humble-bee {Bornbus senex) was busy visiting these 

 Jlelastoma-flowers, and I watched its operations with the 

 greatest interest. Each flower has two forms of stamens, 

 short and long, differing in colour and shape. The short 

 stamens have yellow anthers, a, which stand out from the middle 

 of the flower, and are very conspicuous ; the longer stamens 

 have anthers, a^, approaching in colour to that of the petals form- 

 ing their background, and are therefore less conspicious, and 



