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easily, so that it requires shelter from heavy winds. The 
fruit appears quite free from the species of coccus that infects 
it in Mauritius. Whilst making a visit to the gentlemanly 
and intelligent Magistrate Mr Esnouf, he called my attention 
to a Bread fruit tree near his country villa over 50 feet high, 
loaded with hundred of fruits many ripe for gathering, and 
the branches spreading wide and forming a magnificeut ca- 
nopy. 
“ We passed up the first spur of the mountain aud then 
halted near a neatly built cottage under the shade of some 
coco-nut trees, to wait for the surgeon of the Forte to join 
us. The construction of this dwelling was ingenious. The 
frame made of small poles cut from native trees pegged to- 
gether, closed in outside with plank 2| inches wide and an 
inch thick, sawed from the coco nut trees, and the bark strip- 
ped off. It was thatched strongly with long grass laid very 
neatly inside. The owner told us he got 50 strips of wood 
from one tree, and said it would last many years being very 
durable. 
11 We had not long to wait for our friend, and as soon as he 
joined us we proceeded on up the mountain. On the dead 
trees we passed was an abundance of what looked like a 
scarlet blossom, but that proved to be the brilliant Judas ear 
fingus (Fridia auricula Judoe), iu colour and texture when 
fresh like rich velvet. My comrades both botanists were all 
eyes for the wealth of vegetation we encountered at every 
step. I wandered on a little a head of them till I came to a 
valley between 2 spurs of the mountain, enlivened by a clear 
streamlet tumbling amongst the boulders. I was soou occupied 
in catching a snake and some Gfeckos which were very nu- 
merous on the Bananas and coconut trees. 
“ Looking round me I was attracted by a tree in the dis- 
tance which called forth such admiration I shouted to my 
comrades and we all went up to it. A rara avis it proved to 
be ; — a double headed palm of the genus Hyphoena specie 
unknown about 40 feet high, as straight as an arrow, larger 
and more robust than ordinary palms ; with a rough spiny 
back, of equal size from the collumn upwards. The leaves were 
