3 
and then such trees usually flower. Though this may happen 
more than once a year, at apparently no particular season, all or 
nearly all trees of the same kind shed their leaves simultaneously. 
In the extreme north of the Peninsula, the Langkawi Islands and 
Siam there is a regular dry season and the trees all or nearly all 
become then as bare as trees in winter in England. There being 
no definite resting periods in our climate, the wood rings in the 
timber of cold climate trees are usually inconspicuous or absent, 
and as far as can be at present judged cannot be relied upon 
as giving the age of a tree. In timber from the north, however, 
where there are definite periods of rest, the rings are more clearly 
defined. The greater part of the forests of the Peninsula are of 
the same type, although certain trees are confined to higher 
altitudes than others and some trees are very local, others again 
seem to occur over the whole Peninsula. The Dipteracarpear 
(Serayahs, Damarlaut, &c.) occur on all the dryer hillwoods, but 
are to a large extent absent from the low swampy country bor- 
dering the tidal Yivers. They are to be met with up to an altitude 
of 3,000 feet, but I believe seldom higher. The Oaks and Chest- 
nuts grow usually In the low country and on the lower hills, 
becoming scarce at 1,000 feet, and soon disappearing altogether 
above that. Above 4,000 feet, the trees as a rule, are Ismail, 
gnarled and irregular, but the wood is often very hard and com- 
pact. Tidal river forests are composed for the most part, of 
trees of the order Rhizophoreoe, generally known as Bakau mixed 
with Api-api (. Avicennia ), Nireh {Car a pa), Dungun {Heritiera). 
The chief value of these except Api-api is for firewood, for which 
they are much in request, while the barks of several are strongly 
astringent and used for tanning and dyeing. The bigger trees 
of some of the Bakaus are also in request for piles, as the wood 
is very durable in water. 
In some parts of the tidal rivers the Bakaus are replaced by 
Sonneratias, of which there are three species, one or two occur- 
ring where the water is quite salt, the other (S. acida) above the 
salt water. They are useful in many ways. Above the point 
where the salt water extends is also' to be seen the Malebera, 
Fagroeafastigiata, a most remarkable looking tree valued for piles' 
Secondary growth (Belukar) when forest has been felled and 
burnt, put under cultivation and then abandoned, it is usually 
quickly covered by Ialang, unless the ground is very sandy when 
fern springs up. Unless constantly burnt as is very often the 
case this ground is usually gradually reafforested naturally with 
secondary growth or Belukar. This is by no means always the 
case, as I have often seen patches of ground formerly under forest, 
which though unburnt for many years still bears nothing but 
Ialang. The secondary growth usually consists of small trees of 
little value as timber, the following are the most characteristic: — 
Tiup-Tiup [Adinandra dumosa ), Durian Tupai { Commersonia 
echinafa ), Leban {Vitex pubesesns ), Mahang {M a car an ga hypo- 
Icuca, {M . javanica) Grcnna umbel 1 at a, Symplocos ^sciculuta. 
