9:3 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 
year. Some of these uses are illustrated in this Case and in 
Cases 135 to 138. Various utilizations of the wood, the leaf 
and the midrib of the Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera). Note 
the broad board, the house rafter, and eave spout fashioned 
from this wood; also the brooms, baskets, and ekels from the 
leaf. 
Cases 135 and 136. — Coir, the fiber surrounding the nut of 
the Coco Palm, and its utilization for the manufacture of ropes. 
Note the rope 300 feet long tapering from four inches in diam- 
eter to little over a half inch. Coir rope makes the best of all 
cables for anchoring ship craft, as it is very elastic, acting like a 
spring, as well as very durable in sea water. 
Cases 137 and 138. — Sections of a coconut tree showing the 
character of the growth; note the fibrous bundles of the inte- 
rior and the dense tissue of the exterior. Note further uses of 
coir in the weaving of mats and bagging, and the coconut leaf 
skirt of a Sandwich Islander. 
Case 139. — A very large coconut trunk from Trinidad: note 
the thinness of the bark in proportion to the diameter of the 
tree. 
Cases 140 and 141. — The utilization of the nut of the Coco 
palm. Note the various sections of the fruit, showing the pro- 
portion of the cavity to the “meat” and “shell” of the nut, and 
that of the nut to the “husk”; the various uses of the nut meat, 
and of the mature and immature “shell.” Note also sugar, oil, 
candles, butter, soap, meal, copra, wine, etc. 
Cases 142 and 143. — The Saw Palmetto (Sabal serrulata) 
one of the “Fan Palms” of the southeastern United States. Note 
the use of cross sections of the “trunk” as brushes; the utiliza- 
tion of the leaf fiber for the same as well as for upholstery 
material; and that of an extract of the rootstalk for tanning. 
Case 144. — The Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal palmetto) in its 
similar utilization to the preceding species. 
Case 145. — The Bermuda Palm (Sabal Blackbourniana) show- 
ing the beautiful leaf and its utilization. 
Case 146. — A series representing the Coco de Mer or Double 
Coconut of the Sechyelles Islands (Lodoicea sechellarum) the 
largest and heaviest of all known fruits. 
Case 147.— Not installed at this writing. 
