256 TlMEHRl. 
the size of a pigeon's egg, generally free from any seed, 
and consisting then entirely of ' a farinaceous substance, 
as yellow as the yolk of an egg, slightly saccharine, 
and extremely nutritious.' The last words are quoted 
from HUMBOLDT, who writing of this palm, his mighty 
scientific spirit once more overcome by the enthusiasm 
to which he was subject, compared its fruit to peaches, 
and gave the plant the common name, which it has since 
familiarly borne, of peach-palm. 
\B. maraja, Mart : 
Occurs, according to Schomburgk, in the Canakoo 
mountains and throughout the sandstone region, flower- 
ing in February and March.] v 
B. megalocarpa, SP. N. Trail. 
This plant grows at Orealla, on the Corentyn River, 
intermingled with B. major, Jacq : which it not a 
little resembles, but from which it is certainly distin6t. 
Leaves interruptedly and irregularly pinnate (' at 
distinct intervals' notes Mr. Jenman). Leaflets nearly 
on a plane with the midrib, rather brcader than in B. 
major, Jacq; height of plant about the same (10-15 ft) 
but stem rather stouter. Fruit smooth, large (f inch 
thick), but not so large as in B. major, nearly spherical, 
deep purple ; ripe in October. 
I have not seen the plant except on the Corentyn. 
B. mitis, Mart : 
Local Name. 
Creole (Arawak ?) Paripie-balli.* 
* The name Paripie-balli seems, to me, to be applied indiscriminately 
to the two very similar species B. mitis, Mart : and £. simplicifrons, 
Mart. 
