263 
exude at first, nor indeed for a week or two. The plant is cultivated 
in Palembang, and an account of its cultivation, unfortunately in 
Dutch is reprinted in Dr. Greshoff’s “Nultige Pflanzen 
xxviii, from L. M. Vonck (Tijdschr, v. Nijverheid afd. Kolomal 
Museum, 1891). 
There are two other species of Styrax in the Peninsula, viz., 
S. Crotonoides, a rare plant here occurring also in Sumatra, and 
5 . serrulatum in Penang, India and China. 
It appears from Dr. Greshoff’s paper that S. Benzoin is the 
source of the Palembang Gumbenjamin, or Benzoin, but what 
plant produces that of Siam is not known. Many years ago there 
was a plant of the Siamese Styrax in the Garden of Dr. Jamie in 
the Serangoon Road, of which I have a single leaf, sent me by 
Mr. Holmes of the Pharmaceutical Society. 1 his garden has 
been destroyed and with it has gone the tree. The Siamese 
Gumbenjamin is a native of Laos, and is not easy to procure 
specimens of. Pierre FI. Cochinchinensis gives a figure of a Styrax 
brought from Laos, which he says he cannot differentiate from 
S. Benzoin. It is not, I think, that species, but more resembles 
S. crotonoides. Though I have frequently tried to get people 
visiting that district to procure specimens of this plant, I have 
failed to get any, so that the origin of the Siamese Benzoin 
remains doubtful to this day. — H. N. R. 
PANDAN HATS. 
In the annual report for the coast districts of Negri Sembilan, 
Mr. Ellerton says that the Malay industries are continuing 
actively under the care of a local committee. Hats made of 
Pandan and Mengkuang are still the most important feature, and 
probably quite 5,000 of these hats were manufactured and sold 
in 1905, and it is possible that orders may shortly be received 
from Europe. Five-hundred hats destined it is said for the Paris 
markets have already been supplied. One unlooked for result of the 
success of this industry is the increased number of young Malays 
to be found hanging about the villages where hats are made 
supported in apparent comfort by the proceeds of the sale of hats 
made by their women kind. — H. N. R. 
PARA RUBBER AT KUALA KANGSAR. 
In the annual report Mr. Campbell writes: — All the Hevea 
Braziliensis were tapped and as a result 664 lb. sheet and 63 fb 
scrap were sent to London for sale. The former realized 6/1^ 
and the latter 5/of per lb. The loss in weight was 1.97 per cent. 
The rubber was exported as “ fine palish and dark sheet rather 
dull.” The sheets were from to £ inch thick. The London 
