BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS, F.G.S., &C, 767 



country from the earliest times. It is of Indian origin, and its 

 history and spread havequite a literature of their own for which 

 I must refer readers to De Candolle especially, and Asa Gray in 

 the American Journal of Science, 1883, p. 370. I just wish to 

 call attention to the fact, that the species is stated in most 

 botanical works to be poisonous, but wherever I have been I have 

 found the natives use it as food but with a little preparation to 

 mitigate its nauseous bitterness. In its crude state it is taken as 

 a purgative. There is no country perhaps where the gourds are 

 so largely used for domestic purposes as in Japan. The long 

 gourd constricted in the middle is the conventional Saki bottle, 

 which the traveller fastens at his waist at the constriction in the 

 middle. Bottles of every size and pattern can be obtained, from 

 those holding only a gill to gourds holding a gallon, a specimen of 

 which I have in my possession. Almost any pattern can be pro- 

 cured. The species grows wild in North Aiisti'alia where it may 

 have been introduced, but this is only conjecture. 



108. LuFFA ACUTANGULA, Willd. Malay, Lobat manis, or 

 Petola ; Hindoo Jhinga, Torooee ; Sundanese, Jingi ; Javanese 

 Aroi-kaju-rajam. A much valued vegetable throughout the 

 Archipelago, and is offered largely for sale in all the markets. It 

 is sweet like young peas, and very delicate to some tastes, though 

 Don says it is insipid. 



109. MoMORDiCA BALSAMIXA, L. Papare-utan, or jungle cucum- 

 ber, Malay. This species is widely spread over Asia, Africa, America 

 and Australia. It is a climbing plant with long, fusiform fruits 

 of bright yellow, which, bursting, disclose the seeds enveloped 

 in a brilliantly red pulp. This plant is famous in Syria for curing 

 wounds. Slices of unripe fruit are infused in oil and exposed to 

 the sun until the oil becomes red. It is applied to fresh wounds 

 on cotton. 



110. MoMORDiCA cocHiNCHiNENSis, Spreng. Botli these species 

 are cultivated but for ornament. In the Philippines the general 

 name for all the family of melons and pumpkins is some form of 

 the Spanish pepino. Most of the principal varieties of pumpkins, 



