42 
REVIEWS. 
readers to the book itself—it may be sufficient to say that Palms yield 
valuable timber, thatch, paper, carpets, cloth, thread, water-proof garments, 
ropes, combs, torches, brooms, bow-strings, fishing-nets, hats, fans, and a 
variety of other articles, without requiring much preparation at the hands 
of man, to whose comfort they minister so bountifully. From the sap are 
prepared arrack, vinegar, and sugar. Some yield wax in considerable 
quantity. The leaf-buds, or 11 cabbage,” of certain species, as well as the 
young inflorescence, afford delicate and nourishing food. The fibrous ma¬ 
terial at the base of certain species is a ready-made strainer, employed to 
separate impurities from the sap got from the stem itself. The Tahitians 
use in their toilet a gum-like exudation procured from the cocoa-nut Palm. 
The nuts are turned to account in various ways; the hard shell yields cups, 
lamps, and platters ; and in our own country, handles of umbrellas, match¬ 
boxes, &c., are manufactured from the same part. The contents of the 
nut constitute the principal means of subsistence in some countries, and in 
others a valuable oil is derived from the same. The needle-like spines of 
a species of Gulielma are ready-made instruments for the operation of 
tattooing. The rough aerial roots of the Zanora Palm of Panama serve as 
natural graters or raspers, where metallic instruments would soon be de¬ 
stroyed by damp. The stem of the Paxiuba of Brazil is used for making 
a wind instrument, a rude kind of trumpet. The entire spatha of the 
Bussu of Brazil forms a ready-made cap without seam. The men of 
Scinde employ the hard seeds of a species of Chamaerops instead of leaden 
bullets; and in Chili the nuts of a Juboea resemble marbles, and are used 
by the boys as substitutes for them. The blow tubes for propelling poi¬ 
soned arrows are derived from the stems of a small species of Iriartea. 
Dr. J. D. Hooker, in his Himalayan journals, describes a bridge, on the 
suspension principle, formed from the stems of a species of Calamus. But we 
must refer to the book itself for complete details as to the species, and the 
countries where Palms yield such variety of useful products. The mere 
utilitarian will find in Mr. Seeman’s book valuable details, amply sufficient 
to gratify his cravings. 
The volume also contains some points of interest to the physiologist. 
The great extent of surface presented by individual leaves is worthy of 
notice. A leaf of Raphia tsedigera has 200 square feet of expanse. Many 
trees have in the number of leaves a compensation for the relatively small 
size of each. In Palms the converse is generally true ; the leaves are not 
numerous, but they are of large dimensions. The amount of sap given 
out by some is also worthy of notice. A good tree of Caryota urens will 
yield, when tapped, 100 pints in 24 hours; the Juboea spectabilis is a still 
