443 
Lima beans ( Phaseolus lunatus ) which gave satisfactory results in 
this way> but were found to be too expensive. They have also the objec- 
tion that being climbers they cause trouble by twining round the young 
plants, and after the catastrophe in Province Wellesley some years ago 
when the brown-seeded wild form being used, some coolies collected 
and ate the beans with fatal results it is hardly likely that it will be 
used again here. » 
H. N. R. 
NOTES ON SOME PISCICIDES 
At the recent Agri- horticultural exhibition at Kuala Lumpor, 
there was as usual a prize offered for die best sample of Tuba, the 
roots of Derris elliptica so commonly cultivated by the Chinese for the 
purpose of killing insects infesting the. vegetable gardens, and which is 
also well known as a piscicide, for stupefying fish. The Malays how- 
ever who entered for this competition sent a series of roots and fruits 
which were used by them as piscicides, or Tubas. Of the use of these 
nothing seems to be known, and as the knowledge of all plants of a 
poisonous nature is very desirable, I put together what notes I 
have on these, in the hope that the attention of those who have an 
opportunity of making further observations may be called to these 
plants. 
The largest series was shown by a Malay who exhibited samples 
of eight kinds of piscicides, but as most of these however were repre- 
sented by roots only they were unidentifiable. The Malay names were 
given as follows. 
Selowung 
Tuba Pahang 
Ambi Ara 
Kechubong. 
Tuba Bua 
Tuba Ubi 
Tuba Jenou 
Tuba Lucheh 
Tiibabuah is thejruit of a Diospyros, D. topo&ioidcs King, and 
Gamble ( Ebenacece ). It is a big tree about 40 feet tall or less, with 
alternate coriaceous leaves, oblong -elliptic shortly acuminate or 
acute, base rounded, with 16 to 20 pairs of nerves, little curved and 
arching far from the edge. Male flowers i inch long in cyrnose axil- 
lary panieles. Females larger, fruit in cymes often very thickly crow- 
ded on the branches, an inch or an inch and a quarter through when ripe 
and at first covered with a red fur, which rubs off easily. In shape it is 
globose with a depressed top. The sepals form a thick undulating disc 
four lobed and shorter than the fruit, covered at first with red hairs, 
which rub off. 
The fruit is said by the Malays to be very poisonous to fish. It 
occurs in Perak, in the Dindings and in Selangor. 
Another species of the same genus named Mcntuba , was obtained 
by Mr. Cantley’s collector in Malacca at Selandor. It is a tree 60 
l j 
?kp 
