Note 214 — V

In considering the question of whether some plant or other is indigenous to the interior of the continent, much too little consideration is paid to the fact that—in spite of the presence of the Niger—the Central African countries were completely secluded from communication with the Atlantic up to the middle of the nineteenth century. It would be interesting to learn whether the adherents of the theory that such useful African plants as the ground-nut and the oil-palm were introduced from America, are aware of the fact that species of fauna, which are characteristic of South America, such as the neotropical Eunica species which approximates very closely to the Crenis, an African species of Lepidopiera, and the Urania species peculiar to both regions, are found in Africa.