263 



exude at first, nor indeed for a week or two. The plant is cultivated 

 in Palembang, and an account of its cultivation, unfortunately in 

 Dutch is reprinted in Dr. Greshoff's " Nultige Pflanzen 

 xxviii, from L. M. Vonck (Tijdschr, v. Nijverheid afd. Kolonial 

 Museum, 1891). 



There are two other species of Styrax in the Peninsula, viz., 

 S. Crotonoides, a rare plant here occurring also in Sumatra, and 

 S. serrulatum in Penang, India and China. 



It appears from Dr. Greshoff's paper that S. Benzoin is the 

 source of the Palembang Gumbenjamin, or Benzoin, but what 

 plant produces that of Siam is not known. Many years ago there 

 was a plant of the Siamese Styrax in the Garden of Dr. Jamie in 

 the Serangoon Road, of which I have a single leaf, sent me by 

 Mr. Holmes of the Pharmaceutical Society. This garden has 

 been destroyed and with it has gone the tree. The Siamese 

 Gumbenjamin is a native of Laos, and is not easy to procure 

 specimens of. Pierre Fl. Cochin chinensis gives a figure of a Styrax 

 brought from Laos, which he .says he cannot differentiate from 

 5. Benzoin. It is not, I think, that species, but more resembles 

 S. crotonoides. Though I have frequently tried to get people 

 visiting that district to procure specimens of this plant, I have 

 failed to get any, so that the origin of the Siamese Benzoin 

 remains doubtful to this day. — H. N. R. 



PANDAN HATS. 



In the annual report for the coast districts of Negri Sembilan, 

 Mr. Ellerton says that the Malay industries are continuing 

 actively under the care of a local committee. Hats made of 

 Pandan and Mengkuang are still the most important feature, and 

 probably quite 5,000 of these hats were manufactured and sold 

 in 1905, and it is possible that orders may shortly be received 

 from Europe. Five-hundred hats destined it is said for the Paris 

 markets have already been supplied. One unlooked for result of the 

 success of this industry is the increased number of young Malays 

 to be found hanging about the villages where hats are made 

 supported in apparent comfort by the proceeds of the sale of hats 

 made by their women kind. — H. N. R. 



PARA RUBBER AT KUALA KANGSAR. 



In the annual report Mr. Campbell writes: — All the Hevea 

 Braziliensis were tapped and as a result 664 lb. sheet and 63 lb 

 scrap were sent to London for sale. The former realized 6/1 J 

 and the latter 5/of per lh. The loss in weight was 1.97 per cent. 

 The rubber was exported as " fine palish and dark sheet rather 

 dull." The sheets were from ^ to J inch thick. The London 



