due to its inability to grow far outside the equatorial zone. As this is not the case with the Malay apple or cocoanut, some other cause must have prevented a more rapid distribution at the remote period when they were brought into cultivation. Taken in connection with the fact of so few cultivated species finding their way from the mainland of Asia through the Malay Islands to Polynesia, I think we may infer a very restricted intercourse between the peoples of the two regions. Poroiti (Solanum oleraceum).—This species belongs to the flora of the New World, and was brought into Europe during the last century. The bright-scarlet berries and leaves of the plant were formerly eaten by the Hervey Islanders, but I do not know whether the species was regularly cultivated or merely grew wild. I have introduced the poroiti in order to call attention to the many New-World species bearing edible fruit that had found their way into Polynesia previous to the advent of Europeans.* “Polynesian Researches.” W. Ellis. Goodrich, one of the first foreigners who ascended Mauna-loa, discovered white and red raspberries, strawberries, and whortleberries growing plentifully at a high elevation, where alone, within the Hawaiian Archipelago, these plants would find a suitable climate. From the geographical position of Hawaii, we may safely conclude these fruit-bearing plants were American species; and, taking their number into account, it was improbable they were accidentally introduced, or by any other agents than man. Pickering, who paid particular attention to the foreign plants scattered throughout Polynesia, found the Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) growing wild in the Hawaiian and other groups, where it had more than one native name.† “Races of Man.” As nearly all the introduced plants observed by Pickering belong to the Asiatic region, the presence of the above-mentioned fruit-bearing species seems to confirm what we gather from the kumara—that the inhabitants of Polynesia had at some time communication with the American Continent. Iii.—The Cultivated Plants Of Polynesia: Indigenous Species. The indigenous plants artificially multiplied by the Polynesian people were for the production of food and clothing, or for ornamental purposes. Of these the most important are the arrowroot, Tahitian chestnut, Tahitian apple, shaddock, ti-tree, and pandanus. Pia, or Arrowroot (Tacca pinnatifolia).—This species, grows abundantly in a wild state on many of the islands of eastern Polynesia, where it is also cultivated, but only on a