47 



PLATE XIV. 



PEEL ISLAND, BONINSIMA GROUP. 



SEA-SHORE. 



May. 



In the year 1827 the Boninsima Islands presented the charming sight of an un- 

 inhabited woodland, favoured by a beautiful climate. Steep volcanic mountains, at 

 the foot of which but little level land is found, are covered with a fine high forest of 

 eminently tropical character. Only where the lava-like basalt, of which the shores 

 chiefly consist, unprotected against violent gales, begins to be wooded, is a shrubby 

 vegetation, such as is seen in the centre of our illustration. A carpet of light 

 green Cyperacece covers the naked rocks ; higher up is seen brushwood of emi- 

 nently myrtle-like character, the climate of the island principally showing itself 

 in the forms of the myrtle and the laurel. True, we have here a peculiar mingling 

 of the physiognomic character of different climates; whilst the Pandanus, the 

 fan-palm, the Terminalia, the Sccevola, &c, recall to mind the tropical zone, we 

 are reminded of the northern by many other plants, amongst which the present 

 view exhibits only a conspicuous and abundant juniper. This species chiefly grows in 



the soil here represented ; fig. 5 \ 6 ^ is a very tall specimen ; on the bare rocks 



it assumes a more crippled growth, which curiously contrasts with that of the 

 neighbouring screw-pines (Pandanus), of which there are on these rocks two 

 species, the smaller bearing an orange -coloured fruit, the other a green one when 

 in a state of maturity, whilst both exhibit scarcely any difference in the look of 

 the leaves ; the larger is the most common in the island, and generally has only 

 one- crown of foliage on its straight upright trunk. A highly characteristic plant 

 occurs on the projecting points 'of these otherwise bare rocks (14 1). Dr. Mertens 

 calls it in his notes an " arboreous Campanulacea" and could not determine it 



