The Borders in the Tropical Division are numbered distinctively from the other part of the building, commencing with Border No. 1, in which is a plant of the India-Rubber-tree, which is probably the largest of its kind in the building, and nearer to the corner is a specimen of the Wine Palm (_Caryota Urens_). On the side opposite the Court will be found the silk Cotton-tree of India (_Bombax Ceiba_), and, further round, the Sandbox-tree of India (_Hernandia Sonora_). In Border No. 3, which corresponds in position on the other side of the Alhambra Court, is an Egyptian Date Palm, and also a Wax Palm from South America. In Border No. 5 we notice a group of _Musæ_, amongst which beautiful class of plants are the Banana and Plantain, perhaps the commonest and most nutritious of tropical fruits. Hemp and flax are obtained from the fibrous leaves, which are also used for thatching and basket-making. A sort of wine is made from the juice of the trunk. The fruit is eaten both raw and cooked, while the young shoots are consumed as vegetables. In the centre of this Border, which runs along parallel with the Alhambra Court, is one of the species of Sago (_Saguerus sacchifera_); another kind (_Cycas revoluta_) is near the column. The Indians as well as Chinese procure Sago from this tree. The Sago is prepared from the pith of the trunk, selected however at a proper season; it is made into bread by the natives who prepare it, and from this it has received its name, which in the language of the Papuas means bread. It is more prolific in nutritious matter than perhaps any agricultural plant, a single trunk sometimes yielding as much as 600lbs. of Sago. Round these Sago Palms is arranged a collection of various specimens of the Fig tribe (_Ficus_) from South America. Between the centre columns is a plant of the _Jatropha Manihot_, whose root is one of the most important articles of food in the tropics; it is made into bread called Cazavi or Cassava, which is very nutritious; and Tapioca is also obtained from it. A very poisonous juice has first to be extracted by pressure, or eliminated by heat, before the root can be prepared for food. In the corner of the Border we are now inspecting is another tree, from which also bread is made; this is the Caffre Bread-tree (_Encephalortus_.) The natives remove the bark and make flour from the trunk. We may now turn into the Avenue of Sphinxes, between which is arranged a rich collection of beautiful Palms--Cocos, Date-Palms, Wine-Palms, Cabbage-Palms, and many other varieties. At the corner as we turn again into the Nave stands the _Cocos plumosa_, a peculiarly beautiful specimen, which may be remembered as having adorned the Great Exhibition in 1851.