[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

4 MALEKULA
land snakes grow to a considerable size, they are not dangerous
to man. The only wild BIRDs which seem to be of importance
to the natives are two or three varieties of pigeon and a black
hawk, called by the people of the south-west nambal. This BIRD
is of very special signiï¬Åcance to the Malekulans ; it‘ is represented
in many of their ceremonies and its feathers are worn on festive
occasions by men of high rank.
We know little oi the plants, the bushes, shrubs, and flowering
trees which grow in the island, for, although the native names
for several of them have been recorded in connection with the
ritual life of the people, these have not been identiï¬Åed} Cycas,
tree-fern, and bread-fruit trees are frequently mentioned, as
well as bamboos, wild canes, the umbrella palm, and the ivy-nut
or thatching palm. Among the shrubs and bushes there are
several varieties of cordyline,“ Czmiyline terminalis being that
most commonly used for decoration ; the kava plant,“
Achymnthes aspera, whose bright red leaves are often used for
personal adornment and for making the village gay; Codiazum
variegat/um and Bixa urellana. But of all the wild plants which
grow on this island those for which the natives show most
respect are the numerous varieties of crcton. This is called in
the south-west naai limbu, that is " the sacred tree ", and it
ï¬Ågures prominently in the ritual lite of the Malekulans,
1 Deacon obtained specimens 0! the leaves of a few plants, but these were
not sufficient for purposes of identiï¬Åcation. It has been necessary, therefore,
throughout this book to refer to the numerous plants which are mentioned in
connection with the ritual life oi the islanders by their native names. On his
return from Malekula Layard brought a number of plant specimens with him
which have been identiï¬Åed by Mr. V. S. Somincrhayes, Assistant Keeper of
the Herbariurn at Kew, and all of these were plants which Deacon mentions.
Nevertheless, since the majority of plants must needs be referred to by their
Malekulan names, and since to the lay reader these are no more unfamiliar
than the Latin ones, even when these can be given, it has seemed well to use-
the iormer icr all trees, shrubs, and flowers other than such common ones as
tree-ferns, crotons, cordylines, etc. The Seniang and the Latin names of those
plants which have been identiï¬Åed will he found in the Glossary at the end oi
the bc0k.—C_ Hi W.
‘ Deacon always refers to this plant, which is called in the dialect of Seniang
mmvi, as draczena ; Layard, however, brought back a specimen of mun’ mbriles
and this was identiï¬Åed by Mr. V. S. Sommerhayes as Coniylim tnmimrlis.
It is probable, therefore. that all the plants called mun‘ are varieties of cordyline.
Superï¬Åcially there is a great resemblance between the closely allied genera of
the cordylines and dracienas, and the former are indeed frequently Spoken of
as draca-:nas.— C. ‘H. W.
3 Knva is usually made from the ground or chewed root of the Piper
methysticum; whether it is this plant or some other variety of piper which
grows in Malekula and is used in the north of the island for making the kava
drink is not deï¬Ånitely stated.—C. H. W.