THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 1 07 
ing found in juxtaposition. In appearance the Hevia is a hand- 
some cree, wv.ii straight cyhndrical trunk— differing wliolly from 
the Ule — tlie India rubber trte. \ Castilloa) seen in Moskito and 
Nicaragua to South Mexico. The wood is soft and perishable. 
The bark as in the great majority of tropical trees, is not very 
thick, and is cf a gray color on the surface, but when scraped, ap- 
proaclies rhe appearance and color of a light bay horse's coat. This 
cleaning lias lo be done, as in moister regions the bark is thickly 
coated with growths of moss, ferns and orchids. The seeds 
grow, three together, in a sort of hard pod. This pod, becoming 
heated by the sun bursts when it is ripe with a sharp popping sound 
and scatters the seed for a considerable distance around the tree. 
The seed is exceedingly oily, and the oil extracted therefrom, 
closely resembling linseed oil, is a valuable product. The range 
cf temperature in the Hevia forest is between 70 deg., and 90 deg., 
throughout the year. Rainfall varies considerably in different 
districts where Hevia is found, some districts being nicely divided 
into wet and dry seasons, each of about six months' duration, 
while in others it lains moie or less the year round. In such dis- 
tricts it is more difficult to collect the caoutchouc profitably, as if 
the stem of the tree is very wet when it is vv^orked, the latex, or 
rubber-milk, spreads over the surface, of the bark, and is in large 
part lost. From what has been said it may be seen that the main 
part of the India rubber must be collected during the dry season, 
although ''siringaros." who live near "ciringals," or rubber walks, 
improve their opportunity by tapping their trees whenever fme 
days occur during the rainy season. But the trees are doubtless 
better for a half yearly rest. 
When the native hunter has discovered for himself a district of 
the forest in which ''siringa" trees are sufficiently numerous and 
near together he first connects them together by cutting a ''pica- 
do'' or path, with his bush knife. Having thus discovered their 
relative bearing, he next straightens and clears out his paths, en- 
deavoring at the same time to take in as many trees as possible on 
each path, and to make all the paths converge to a certain spot, 
whoie he puts up his ''barrica"or curing station. This done, and 
having collected a supply of the old nuts of the inaja {Maximili- 
