January i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
467 
“ This is not a tfal or widgeon, but a dabchick or 
little grebe. I caught one myself on the lake not 
long ago, while in company with its mother, but let 
it go again. Teal would breed here, I have no doubt, 
if let alone.” 
On turning to Legge’s book, I find that the little 
grebe had found its way up to Nuwara Eliya a 
good many years ago. He writes The dabchick 
is widely distributed throughout the lowcountry of 
Ce\lon, besides which it has, I am informed, re- 
cently found its way up to the Nuwara Eliya Lake, 
which has an altitude of 6,200 feet. It is nowhere 
seen in larger numbers than on the Colombo Lake, 
where it is a permanent resident ; on some occa- 
sions I have seen a flock of more than thirty on 
the larger sheet of water, and, as a general rule, 
there are a dozen or more in this locality. It is 
not uncommon in the tank districts from Eurune- 
gala northwards, and I have met with it in small 
village tanks near Trincomalce. Its having ascended 
the highest mountains in the island and discovered 
the newly constructed Lake at Nuwara Eliya is 
very remsi’kable, as there is a rise to the plateau, 
both on its eastern and western side, of more than 
2,000 feet, both streams flowing down precipitous 
and forest-clad gorges ; but I am credibly informed 
by several people, and among them by Mr. Thwaites, 
of Hakgala, who pays particular attention to the 
birds of the district, that it has been seen there 
during the cool season.” Legge adds that the bird 
is a most expert diver and that its note is a not 
unmusical whistle. From the testimony of Messrs. 
La Mesurier and Tringham, it appears to have 
bred in Nuwara Eliya, so that, if properly pro- 
tected, the Lake would have the attraction of flocks 
of the little grebe, with other aquatic birds, no 
doubt, on its bosom. It would bo a thousand pities 
if the unregulated action of sportsmen should ex- 
terminate or frighten away these pretty and inter- 
esting birds. The amount of meat they yield cannot 
be a great temptation. 
PINE SPECIMBKS OP ALBIZZIA MOLUCC ANA— -THE MERITS 
AND DEFECTS OF THE ALBIZZIA — JAPANESE TIMliERS 
FOR TEA CHESTS — AN EXPERIMENTAL GROVE IN DDA- 
PUSSELLAWA — THE “ TALLOW WOOD ” TREE AND THE 
KDMBDK FOR RAILWAX SLEEPERS —GUMS, GREVILLEAS, 
&C. — AFFORESTATION AT AND IMPROVEMENT OF 
NUWARA ELIYA. 
Nanuoya, Nov. 25th. 
I recently mentioned the truly noble growth of 
some specimem of Albizzia moluccana here, which 
arc only nine years old. Those in Mr. Neate’s gar- 
den at Nawalapibiya, v/hioh that gentleman kindly 
asked me, some time ago, to inspect are, I believe, 
one, or perhaps two years older ? Mr. Neate 
obtained the seed, probably, through the late 
Colonel Money. Not having been able to accept 
Mr. Neate’a iuviLa'ion to sea his grand trees near 
at baud, I was glad to obtain the measuremants 
taken by Mr. Alexander of the Forest Department. 
There are five trees which vary in girth from 64 
to 71 inches, or practically 6 feet in the latter 
case ! The height of the trees is from <J0 to 100 
teet. Mr. Muntun, I am told, has similar trees 
in the Matalo district ; and I remember seeing a 
fine specimen in tlowcr on Itosomath estate near 
Kandy. Tlie foliage of these trees so closely resem- 
bles th.at of the Madagnsoar tree, Fuiiiciana rcr/ia, 
that the two trees aro fiaquently confounded. Dut 
tiro blossoms dill'er exceelingly : those otthepy/n- 
ciana being grand in size and colouring while the 
flowers of the albizzia are smaller and boautifu'ly 
snow-white. Athough the spreading roots of this treo 
often vie in size with its immense trunk and large 
branohos, it seems to do little or no harm to tea 
when growing amongst fields of that plant. Its 
great merits as a shade and shelter plant, are 
qualified by its brittleness, big branches being broken 
by the wind or falling down ceoasionally by their 
own weight. Many speoimeas, however, either grow 
unbrageously or shoot up tall and straight and are 
perfect specimens of grand trees. The timber is, 
evidently, not suitable for building purposes or fuel, 
but it would, no doubt, bo excellent for tea boxes. 
And this reminds me, that, after all, it was of 
inomi ” I wrote recently as giving out no odour, 
when being planed by the carpenter. It resembles 
fine spruce deal, some of the pieces showing very 
beautiful markings, in parallel lines and wavings. 
I took it to be the wood of Cnjptomeria japonica, 
from its close resemblance to that of the speci- 
men of this so-called “ cedar,*' which Mr. Nook 
recently cut down at Hakgala. That did not strike 
me as showing any dark heart-wood, but probably 
it was not old enough to develope a characteristic 
which is attributed to the mature eryptomeria. Of 
“ Sugi ” or the Japanese cedar, I have full details 
in Von Mueller and Gamble, but nowhere have 
I been able to find '• Momi.” From the appear- 
ance of the wood, it must be either a cupressus or 
pine, most probably the latter ? 
Mr. Alexander had, when he came to have a look 
at our older trees and our flourishing young plant- 
ings, just returned from visiting a Government 
plantation of Grovilleas, Eucalypts, &o., in 
Udapuisollawa. All the trees in this exqieri- 
mental grove were doing well, but the treo 
which had grown beyond all compare was 
E. microcort/s, one of the “ stringy barks ” of New 
South Wales and Queensland, and known by the 
colonists as “tallow wood.” A specimen only 8 
years old measured by Mr, Alexander was 64 inches 
(5 feet 4 inches) in girth and tall in proportion. 
The Forest Department have, in consequence of 
£uoh growth and the known qualities of the timber, 
ordered a large supply of the seed of this tree. 
Von Mueller describes it as attaining to a great 
size ; barrel up to 100 feet in length and to 7 feet 
in diameter \ The wood is yellowieh, free from kino 
particles, easily worked by saw or plane ; it is of a 
very greasy nature, so much so as to be quite 
Flippory when fresh cut. (Ilonco no doubt its 
popular name of “ tallow wood.”) Tlie oily sub- 
stance prevents the wood from splitting or twisting, 
though not from shrinking. The timber is hard 
and durable underground, and is employed for raihoay 
sleepers, wheelwrights’ work, for knees and breast- 
hooks in ship-building ; the yoiuuj trees serve for 
telegraph poles, [This points to planting pret’.y 
olosoly, thinning for telegraph poles and like pur- 
poses, and leaving the finest trees wide apart to 
grow until suitable for conversion into raiUvay 
sleepers.] The foliage is remarkably rich in volatile 
oil. In some parts of India this tree has grown 
30 feet in two years, or at the rate of 15 foot per 
annum, li foot per mensem, or i inch per diem. 
In British Guiana the growth was still more rapid, 
up to 18 inches in one year ! This tree is likely to 
be a grc.at acquisition in Ceylon, especially if the 
railway department accept the timber for sleepers. 
At present the only hard wood grown in Ceylon 
which finds ready acceptance for use on the railway 
is the product of a tree peculiar to Ceylon, the 
doon — the red variety being preferred. Kumbuh, 
which grows to such an enormous sizs on the 
banks of streams, is also to be tried in considerable 
quantity. 1 will be much surprised if the limber of 
this grand treo is not f ivourably reported on, but 
many of our rivers will suffer in piofutosqneuosa 
by the denudation whioh will follow the extended 
use of the timber. In soma of the very aged speoi- 
nieus on the banka of the Arivi-aru in the North- 
Central Province, there are caves in which human 
