1139 
. Notes from Correspondents abroad. 
Port Louis, Mauritius. Mr. G. Regnard writes, 
July 24, regarding the Jujubes of Mauritius which dif- 
fer specifically from those of China mainly in seed 
and leaf character and have been given the name Ziziphus 
mauritiana: "To meet the wishes you expressed in your 
letter of October 18 last, I have- endeavored to ob- 
tain fruits of the principal varieties of Ziziphus sativa 
Lam., growing in Mauritius 
"I might add to what I said on this subject in my 
previous letter. If the Ziziphus are not cultivated, 
in the strict sense of the word, they are to be found 
in large numbers in the villages inhabited by Indians 
and Africans, in the warmer localities of the island; 
and the fruits are well appreciated, not only by those 
people, but. also by Europeans, and they are sold In 
great quantities in the fruit markets during June, 
July, and August"(the cold season). On having fruits 
gathered on different trees, I have noticed that there 
are many varieties, probably more than one hundred, 
of different sizes, shapes, tastes, and colors. The 
fruits, on ripening, may be green, pink, red, or yel- 
low. The majority are of a certain shade of yellow. 
When over-ripe, that is, when the fruit softens, all 
the fruits have the same uniform color, that is, yel- 
lowish brown. 
"The fruits are eaten before they become what I 
call 'over-ripe', and, except for some varieties , have 
a very good taste. Usually, those fruits which have 
the lower extremity slightly pointed are considered 
to be the best, but this is not always the case. 
"The tree rarely attains more than 20 feet high, 
the trunk is six to eight inches in diameter. It grows 
all around the island, from the sea level to 500 or 
600 feet elevation, but it appears, save in a few ex- 
ceptions, that the best products are obtained from 
the regions where the heat is more regular, because 
they are sheltered from the winds which blow during 
most of the year from the southeast. 
"I have, had photos taken, in natural -size, of 
fourteen principal varieties of different trees. 
"I send you a small package (No. 15) of seeds of 
a little fruit, long and pointed, excellent to eat; 
but which I was unable to procure when the photo was 
taken. 11 
