42 



Trooper's Helmet (Cockscomb, Hussar, Brown- 

 leaved Java) . — Average weight 41bs. Very handsome. 

 Leaves rather long, flat and erect, of a pale yellowish 

 green colour, and mealy on the under surface. Spines 

 middle sized and regular. Flowers purple. Fruit 

 roundish, cylindrical ; before ripening, pale green and 

 rather mealy; when ripe, dark ochre. Pips large, 

 flat, depressed in the centre and plaited round the 

 margins. Scales covering half the pips. Flesh of a 

 whitish colour, vey juicy and high flavoured, without 

 sweetness or briskness, rather of a coarse and stringy 

 nature. Crown large and spreading, leaves numer- 

 ous. We have received it from Java, under the 

 name of Java Broad-leaved and Java Narrow-leaved, 

 and from St. Vincent's. 



Trinidad (Pitch Lake). — Average weight 12lbs., 

 said to weigh sometimes 261bs. Leaves keel-shaped, 

 very long and straggling, broad at the base, and ta- 

 pering regularly to the apex, dull green, much tinged 

 with brownish purple, particularly on the spines and 

 inner leaves, under surface very mealy. Spines mid- 

 dle sized, remarkably irregular and growing in clus- 

 ters, they are in the middle degree of strength, and 

 thickly set. Flowers lilac. Fruit of an elongated 

 conical form, the greatest diameters of which are in 

 the proportion of 1 2\ inches in height, by 5^ inches 

 in breadth ; before ripening, dark olive, and lightly 

 covered with meal; when ripe, dark orange, and 

 slightly tinged with red on the lower part of the 

 pips, which are large, of a roundish form, and only 

 very slightly angular ; the margins are rather elevated, 

 with the centres depressed, excepting the lower part 

 of the fruit, where they are a little prominent. Scales 

 cover about half the pips, and end in lengthened 

 acute points at the lower part of the fruit, but near 

 the summit they are much shorter. Flesh pale yel- 

 low, soft, with little fibre, very delicate and highly 



