148 
NATURE NOTES. 
from Borneo and Perak we obtain rubber from allied apocyna- 
ceous plants such as Leuconotis eugenifolius and Willughbeia firma 
and others. These are all climbing plants, with stems about the 
thickness of the wrist. It will be seen, then, that the milky 
juice which ultimately coagulates into useful commercial 
rubber is contained only in certain plants, and those belong- 
ing only to three natural orders, namely, Euphorbiacea, Urti- 
cacea, and Apocynacea. 
The few notes here given are but scanty when one considers 
the vast contents of a museum so extensive as that at Kew, 
but I hope they will serve to draw the attention of the readers 
of Nature Notes to the character, value, and working of this 
important branch of the National Botanical Gardens. 
The Royal Gardens, Kew. J. R. Jackson. 
SOME LONDON BIRDS. 
(i Continued from page 125.) 
(50.) I^^^parrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus). — One seen on 
2 1st January, 1885, in Hyde Park. Several 
other occurrences have been recorded in the 
newspapers during the last few years. 
(51.) Heron (Ardea cinerea). — Occasionally seen flying over 
London. One took up its abode on the island in the 
water in Hyde Park for several days in May, 1884. 
(52.) Mallard [Anas bosclias). — Occasionally a few birds of 
this species visit us, usually in hard weather ( e.g ., 
January, 1887). 
[(53.) Pochard (Fuligula ferina). — I include the pochard in 
this list, as I have on several occasions in winter seen 
birds of this species on the Serpentine, which were to all 
appearance wild, and they kept right out in the middle, 
unlike the tame pochards on the St. James’ Park water. 
The latter do, however, occasionally visit Hyde Park, 
and it is just possible that the birds in question were 
not wild.] 
(54.) Ring Dove ( Columba palumbus). — The extraordinary 
increase in the number of London woodpigeons during 
the last few years has been most curious and interest- 
ing. Now it is quite common to see about fifty all 
feeding together in Hyde Park. They frequent all the 
parks and larger squares, and a good many pairs nest 
in town every summer. 
(55.) Stock Dove ( Columba anas). — Occasionally, but very 
rarely seen. 
[(56.) Moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus). — I have included this 
bird, but put it in brackets, as presumably the 
birds on our ornamental waters have been intro- 
