THE AMAZON AND RIO NEGRO. 107 



Explanation of the Plates. 



Tab. III. Flowering specimen of the Argan: — natural size. Fig. 



I, flower and bracteas; 2, the same, calyx and bracteas removed ; 3, 

 corolla laid open, showing the fertile and abortive stamens; 4, pistil; 

 5, transverse section of a two-celled ovary; 6, transverse section of a 

 three-celled ovary ; 7, vertical section of the same : 



Tab. IV. Figs. 1-6, various forms of the fruit of Argan ; 7, ver- 

 tical section of a two-seeded fruit; 8, transverse section of the same; 

 9, Nut with two perfect seeds, and one abortive ; 10, a two-seeded nut ; 



II, one-seeded nut; 12, transverse section of one-seeded nut; 13, 

 transverse section of a three-seeded nut ; 14, transverse section of a nut, 

 with three perfect seeds, and one abortive; 15, longitudinal section of 

 13; 16, part of the husk removed from a one-seeded fruit: — all the 

 above are of the natural size; 17, embryo with albumen and endo- 

 pleura; 18, embryo : — magnified,^ 



of a Voyage up tJie Amazon and Eio Negro; ly 



Spruce, Esq. 



{Continued from p. 42.) 



[Th 



has been soon followed by another and no less interesting one, espe- 

 cially relating to the Crgptogamia of the vaUey of the Amazon, and which 

 we now lay before our readers. — Ed.] 



Sail Carlos del Rio Negro, Venezuela, Sept. 17, 1853. 



I had lately the pleasure of writing to you and of sending a few 

 objects for your Museum ; and now a few days ago I was gratified by 



yello^vish colour, with a very slight odour and taste. It is occasionally employed for 

 making the finer kinds of soap, and also in medicine- 



*' In manufacturing it, the fruits are first well rubbed or shaken in a coarse bag or 

 sack, to separate a bitter powder which covers their epidermis. They are then 

 pounded to a paste in mortars of marble, which paste is afterwards subjected to the 

 action of a press, as in the case of the olive. 



"About eighty tons of almond oil are annually imported into this country, the 

 price being about one shiUing per pound. Five and a half pounds of almond oQ 

 [paste?] will yield by cold expression one pound six ounces of oil, and three-fourtha 

 of a pound more if the iron plates are heated."— Even supposing this statement to be 

 correctly corned, can we place confidence in the statemeut itself (> 



♦ A beautiful suite of specimens, with dissections of the frmt and seed, is prepared 

 and arranged in the Museum of the Royal Gardens, Kcw, by our very r^alous Cuni^ 

 tor there, ^fr. Alexander Smith. 



