Hides,  which  are  exported  in  a  dry  state,  go  to  the
American  market.  Of  rubber,  two  kinds  are  shipped :
true  rubber,  the  product  of  trees  of  the  Micrandra  family ;
and  balata  rubber,  obtained  from  the  genus  Sapoteae,  the
principal  source  of  supply  being  Miniusops  balata.  The
true  rubber,  or  rather  indiarubber,  is  similar  to  the  article
exported  in  such  large  quantities  from  Para  in  Brazil,
and  like  the  BraziUan  product  it  comes  from  considerable
distances  in  the  interior.  Whereas  indiarubber  has  been
known  to  science  for  quite  a  length  of  time,^  and  has

'  The  word  garcero  is  also  used  to  designate  the  heron-hawk  (Falco).
-  Torquemada  in  his  De  la  Mo-narquia  Indiaim,  published  at   Madrid
in  1615,  says,  '  There  is  a  tree  which  the  Indians  call  Ulequahuitl ;  it  is

F


66  A   NATURALIST   IN   THE   GUIANAS

been  put  to  commercial  uses  for  more  than  half  a  century.
It  is  only  within  the  last  decade  that  an  extensive  trade  in

balata  gum  has  sprung  up,  although  so  far  back  as  1857

Professor   Bleekrod   called   attention   to  its   value   as   a

substitute    for   guttapercha.^     The   tree   producing    this

gum  is  one  of  the  largest  of  forest  trees.     Its  timber  is

exceedingly  hard,  heavy,   and  durable,  and  is  of   a  fine

claret    colour.     It    is   found    all   over   the  West   India

Islands  and  in  Venezuela,  being  particularly  abundant  in

the  Guianas,  where  the  preparation   of  balata  gum  has

become  within  the  last  four  or  five  years  a  very  important

industry.     Unfortunately  the  method  employed  to  obtain

the   gum   is    sure   to    lead    to   the   destruction    of   this

industry   which,  if   conducted   on    intelligent   principles,

might  constitute  a   permanent   source  of  wealth  to   the

countries  where  the  balata-tree  is  found  in  the  forests.
