40 ON THE MEDICINAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL 



atable tlie hot and biting condiments of the East." Some unde- 

 termined species of this genus also furnish the materials of which 

 the edible swallow-nests are composed. It is remarked bj Lam- 

 ouroux, that three species of swallows construct edible nests, two 

 of which builds at a distance from the sea-coast, and uses the sea- 

 weed only as a cement for other matters. Tlie nests of the third 

 are consequently most esteemed, and sold for their weight in 

 _gol(l Greville, AlgjE Britannicse, xix, Lind., Kat. Svst. 



IHdcea edulis, Bory. \ 



Fuciis " Stach. V Esculent Irid?ea. 



Viva " De Cand. ) 



'^' It is eatable when raw, which is hardly the case with some 

 other fuci. It is also eaten after being pinched with hot irons, 

 and then tastes like roasted oysters." (Quoted in Plantar 

 Hariores, 15-i.) In the islands of the Archipelago, the natives 

 have a curious way of dressing fish with the fucus : " They take 

 slices of fish, and stew them with crow garlic, chopped small ; when 

 tender, some lard, or any animal fat, is added ; and lastly, a hand- 

 ful or more of this fucus, called by them Marvei, is put on, which 

 not only gives a most beautiful purple tinge to the ragout, but 

 dissolves, and thickens the sauce so much, that, when cold, the 

 jelly is strong enough to support a spoon or any other thing 

 placed in a perpendicular direction." Gmelin's Hist. Euc. 190 ; 

 Kereis Britan. 59. Mr. Stackhouse discovered that by macera- 

 tion in water it gave out a rich ruby tint, "resembling tlie 

 stron2;est infusion of cochineal." The color had also the remark- 

 al)le pro]")erty of being a changeable color, as "it appeared a 

 bright ruljy when held to the light, and a muddy safiron when 

 viewed in a contrary direction." The Rev. Mr, Gregor assured 

 Mr. Turner that by means of alum he procured a fine lake from 

 an infusion of it. Nereis Britan. 58. AVhen moistened, after 

 having been dried, this species of fucus more particularly exhales 

 a violet scent. Withering's Eng. Botany, v. 19, 1307 ; Wade's 

 Plantar Pariores, 155. 



TJl/va lactuca^ L. 



Much eaten by Northern people, after having extracted the 

 salt. 



The same use is made of tlic U. com2yressa, 2^^^<^'^ta, 2>^'^T'^('^'^<^^ 



