Balata and the Balata Industry. 175 
the preponderance of one species occurs by local custom 
the forest takes the name of that species, as Mora, 
Greenheart, Crabwood, Wallaba or Bullet-tree forest. 
There are wider areas, however, in which the species are 
so numerous, or present in such even proportions that 
no one of them appears to be in excess of any other. 
With regard to the proportion of large trees, — what 
strikes one generally in these natural forests is the few- 
ness of trees, say, with stems upwards of a foot in 
diameter, compared to the large number of smaller ones. 
Standing in any place perhaps a dozen or two dozen 
trees of the kind mentioned might be counted around 
over the limited space one can scan, while the smaller 
ones are in hundreds often, and not unfrequently so 
dense as to greatly impede walking. This applies, as 
well, to the mixed bullet-tree forest especially. Unlike 
the forest consisting of some of the other trees I have 
mentioned, as for instance mora or greenheart, full- 
grown mature bullet-trees are no where very abundant. 
The mass of the grown-up trees seem to be from one to 
two feet in diameter, while those with trunks four or five 
feet in diameter, which have large spreading heads lifted 
clear above the general forest, are only found here and 
there. 
The bullet-tree is of very slow growth. Woodcutters 
say that in trees they know well, over many years they 
observe very little change in their appearance, and none 
whatever in the large trees. This may be ascribed, of 
course, to the familiarity of every-day intercourse, where- 
by slow and very gradual change leaves no impression 
on the observer, but the contrast, if it be at all notice- 
able, between the past and present state of a tree, they 
