40 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
ably be revealed if we were possessed of a better 
knowledge of the flora of that island. Three species 
are only known from Celebes and the Philippines, and 
besides these a number of plants collected at Gorontalo 
in the former island by Mr. Eiedel are considered by 
Mr. Eolfe to be either identical with, or closely allied 
to Philippine species. The connecting link is doubtless 
to be found in the south, in Mindanao and the Sulu 
islands, as indeed Mr. Burbidge’s researches in the latter 
group have proved. Bearing in mind the existence of 
the submarine bank between Luzon and Formosa, and 
the shallowness of the sea intervening between the 
latter island and China, a northern element might 
certainly be expected to be found existing to a greater 
or less extent in the group. This surmise is 
borne out by facts, and although not extensive, the 
connection is very well marked. There are three en¬ 
demic species of Carex , a typical northern genus, as 
indeed is Finns , of which we find two species— P. 
insularis and F. Merkusii. Other forms exist which, 
if not specifically identical with, are nevertheless closely 
allied to Chinese species. The genus Finns only occurs 
in Luzon, and is confined to the western side, P. insularis 
not growing south of 15° ]ST., although P. Merkusii 
occurs in the province of Zambales in a restricted 
area, and is met with again in the island of Sumatra. 
The richness of the forests is shown by the fact that the 
timber of more than 200 different trees has been 
experimented on in the arsenal of Manila, resulting in 
the selection of six as specially adapted to shipbuilding. 
Two of these are species of Vitex (Verbenaeece ), one is 
a Valeria (.Dipterocarpece ), another is a Stercnlia . Of 
these Molave wood ( Vitex genicnlata) is practically in¬ 
destructible, resisting alike the teredo and white ant, 
