414 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



matic plants, this order contains the Pcrsea gratissima, the 

 avocado or alligator pear of the West Indies. The fruit is the 

 size of a large pear, and is in universal esteem. When plenti- 

 ful, even the domestic animals share in this delicacy. It seems 

 to be equally agreeable to the horse, the cow, the dog, and the 

 cat, as well as to all sorts of birds. 



Santalacece, Sandal- wood order. Fusanus acuminatus 

 yields the quandang nut, which is edible. Pyrularia oleifera 

 has a nut, from which a fixed oil is extracted. 



Empetracece, Crowberry order. Empetrum nigrum, the 

 crowberry, affords a refreshing fruit. 



Euphorl)iacece, Spurge-wort order. Janipha manihot, or 

 Manihot utilissima, is the cassava or manioc plant. Its root 

 contains much starchy matter (see p. 326). Tapioca is from 

 the same origin. 



Urticacece, Nettle order. Of Urtica some species produce 

 esculent tubers. The tops of the tender shoots of Urtica dioica 

 are occasionally put into soup. The leaves are the only food 

 of the caterpillars of three of our most beautiful butterflies 

 Atalanta, Paphia, and Urticce the principal food of the lo, 

 and the occasional food of the Comma album. The caterpil- 

 lars also of the iirticata and verticalis moths feed on it. A 

 great number of other indiscriminate feeders devour its foliage, 

 and the bases of the leaves in autumn are frequently disfigured 

 by tubercles which contain small maggots, probably producing 

 Musca urticce* 



Humulus lupulus, the hop, belongs to this order, as well as 

 the Cannabis Indica, which affords the Indian bang. 



Artocarpacece, Bread-fruit order. (1.) Artocarpecc, edible 



fruits and virulent poisons. A rtocarpus incisa, the bread-fruit 



tree. A. integrifolia, the jak or jack-fruit tree, less esteemed 



than the bread-fruit. Cecropia peltata, trumpet-wood. The 



* London, ibid., p. 783. 



