590 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



stem is a spurious herbaceous shoot composed of the closely packed- 

 convolute leaf-sheaths. At the base of these imbedded in the ground 

 is a tuberous root-stock which may be termed the true stem. This 

 portion as well as that immediately above it, viz., the convolute leaf- 

 sheaths, are the parts so much prized and consumed by the wild tribes. 

 These portions were chemically analysed at my suggestion and the 

 report of their analysis, which has been courteously supplied to me by 

 Mr. Burkill, Reporter on Economic Products to the Government of- 

 India, and which was made at Mr. Burkill's request by the kindness of 

 Mr. A. Ghose, a chemist in the employ of a Calcutta mercantile firm, 

 is as follows: — ■ 



Report. 

 " Percentage composition of the stem below the leaf bases : — 



Moisture 

 Albumenoides ... 

 Ash 



Digestible fibre 

 Woody fibre ... 

 Tannin, sugar, etc. 



67-50 

 4'89 

 1-74 



13-6 

 8'3 

 3-91 



Total ... 100 



Percentage composition of the leaf bases- 



Total 



100 



100 



100 



Note. — For the estimation of moisture, crude and woody fibre, freshly 

 cut portions were used. The amount of Nitrogen and Ash was deter- 

 mined in dry powdered substance and the results were reduced to per- 

 centages of the original sample." 



