314 TEANSACTIOXS AND PKOCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. ux. 



out, what remains is used as cake for cattle as above. 

 Half their weight is oil. 



(I) Zens esculenta or Ervv.ni Lens, the lentil. To get rid of 

 the bitter substance in the seeds, Church recommends their 

 being steeped for 'a short time in water in which a little 

 carbonate of soda has been dissolved. 



To return to the genus Lathyrus, I want to note four 

 species, three at least of which may be poisonous. 



L. Clymemim. — A species belonging to the Levant region 

 (both Europe and Africa), and also said to be found in 

 Madeira. Its leaflets, nine to fourteen in a leaf, are very 

 much shorter than those of L. sativus, and are blunt at the 

 point. The flowers are in small racemes. 



There is another species found in Italy and very closely 

 allied to L. Clymenvm, namely, L. cdatus, so closely allied 

 that it is sometimes sunk in the last species, and by othei' 

 authorities is spoken of as synonymous. On the Continent 

 there are records of these two being injurious too. 



Then there is L. Cicera, with flat pods, a native of South 

 Europe and Northern Africa, and known in these regions 

 as a fodder plant. Its seed when used in quantities pro- 

 duces harmful results, e.g., in Prance there are records of 

 its use by human beings being followed by paralysis, and 

 an epidemic of paralysis in a tribe of Arabs in Algiers 

 some twelve years ago was traced by French experts to a 

 similar cause. The brown smooth seeds of L. Cicera can by 

 a casual observer be very easily mistaken for those of the 

 Indian variety of L. sativus, indeed I know of their having 

 been shown in an exhibition as those of L. sativus, and 

 without remark. 



The last species of Lathyrus I will mention is L. Aphaca, 

 the yellow vetchling cultivated in different parts of India 

 as a fodder plant for cattle, and also found in this country, 

 being not uncommon in tlie eastern and southern counties 

 of England. The seeds and pods have been known to be 

 used in soup in their young state and without harm result- 

 ing, but the ripe seeds are narcotic and cause sickness and 

 headache. In this connection one might also notice the 

 haricot bean, Pliaseoivs vulgaris, whose unripe pods are 

 much in use as a green vegetable, as are also those of the 

 scarlet runner, P. multiflorus. The ripe seeds have been 



