OF THE COCOANUT DURING GERMINATION 323 
inlength. Their appearance and arrangement is shown in Fig. 1, 
on the opposite page. The tree grows to a height of about 60-100 
feet and usually bears 80-100 nuts arranged on the tree in bunches 
of 10-20, It continues to bear during two generations of men. 
The fruit is subtriangular-ovoid in. form, 
about 12 inches long and 6 inches broad. _ It is 
composed of a thick, fibrous “ husk” (exocarp) 
and thin, hard “shell” (endocarp), containing a 
white fleshy seed, the ‘‘ meat”’ (endosperm), witha 
thin integument (testa). (See fig. 3,p.324.) The 
thick husk is remarkably adapted to the preser- 
vation of the seed, whilst the nut is tossed about 
by the waves until it reaches some shore, it may 
be, far distant from that on which it orew. 
While immature the nut is without the solid 
endosperm, but is filled with a milky fluid. As 
it ripens, however, the endosperm gradually de- bee Ges 
Velops and the milky juice diminishes in quan- sir diliccidanut cae - 
tity. The temperature of this juice when fresh with calyx, and axis 
is always comparatively low. (See page 349 for from which the male 
further reference to the parts of the nut.) eo ingaee 
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are from cuts loaned to “” 
us by Dr, A. L, Winton, who used them lately in the account of his 
very valuable histological study of “ The Anatomy of the Fruit of 
the Cocos_nucifera.”* We are greatly indebted to Dr. Winton 
for his kind assistance. 
The cocoanut forms the chief food of the inhabitants of Ceylon, 
the South Sea Islands, the coast of Africa and other tropical coasts 
andislands.+ The flesh is not only eaten as it comes from the 
tree, both ripe and unripe, but it is also prepared and served in 
Various ways. In India the ‘‘ copra’’ is much used as an ingre- 
dient of curries, It forms an accessory part of the diet, and is found 
* Winton : American Journal of Science, IV. 12: 265. gol. 
_ 1 The cocoanut is agreeable to the, taste of various domestic and other animals, and 
is €agerly eaten by them. The cocoanut-crab (Birgus latro, suborder A/acrura ; an- 
malous form, approaching the Brachyura and closely related to the hermit crab) feeds 
almost entirely on the kernel of the cocoanut. Its powerful claws enable it to easily 
Peel off the husk and open the hard shell. 
