the cocoa-nut tree; a genus of the order of palms, belonging to the monocota class of plants. There is only one species known, which is cultivated in both the Indies, and is of the greatest use to the inhabitants. It is supposed to be a native of the Maldives and some desert islands in the East Indies; and from thence to have been transported to all the warm parts of America; for it is not found in any of the inland parts, nor anywhere far distant from settlements. The tree frequently rises 60 feet high. The body of the trunk, which generally leans to one side, occasioned, as is supposed, by the great weight of nuts it sustains when young, is the exact shape of an apothecary's large iron potle, being of an equal thickness at top and at bottom, but somewhat smaller in the middle; its colour is of a pale brown throughout, and the bark smooth. The leaves or branches are often 14 or 15 feet long, about 28 in number, winged, of a yellow colour, straight and tapering. The pinnae, or partial leaves are green, often three feet long next the trunk, but diminishing in length toward the extremity of the branches. The branches are flattened at top by brown stringy threads that grow out of them, of the size of ordinary pack-thread, and are interwoven like a web. The nuts hang at the top of the trunk, in clusters of a dozen each. Each nut, next the stem, has three holes closely flopped; one of them being wider, and more easily penetrated than the rest. When the kernel begins to grow, it incrusts the inside of the nut in a bluish, jelly-like substance; as this grows harder, the inclosed liquid, distilled into the nut from the roots, becomes somewhat acid; and the kernel, as the nut ripens, becomes still more solid; and at length lines the whole inside of the nut for above a quarter of an inch thick, being as white as snow, and of the flavour of an almond. The quantity of liquor in a full grown nut is frequently a pint and upwards. The bulky tegument of the nut consists of strong, tough, stringy filaments, which, when removed from the fruit, resemble coarse oakum, and may perhaps be conveniently enough used as such. The shells of these nuts, being tipped with silver, are frequently used for drinking bowls. The bark of the tree may be wrought into into cordage, and the leaves into baskets, brooms, hammocks in form of nets, mats, sacks, and other useful utensils. The liquor contained in the shell is a most cooling, wholesome beverage in those sultry climates, and the white kernel a most agreeable food. The Maldivian cocoanut is esteemed by the inhabitants of these islands, as a powerful antidote against the bites of serpents and other poisons. The cocoa-nut tree is propagated by planting the nuts; which, in six weeks or two months time, will come up, provided they are fresh and thoroughly ripe; but this is what few of them are when brought into this country; for they always gather them before they are ripe, that they may keep during their passage. The best way, therefore, would be to gather such nuts as are thoroughly ripe in their native country, and plant them in a tub of dry sand, in order to keep them from the vermin during their passage. Here they will frequently sprout, which will be an advantage, as they may then be immediately planted in pots of earth, and plunged in the bark-stove.