BEECH-MAST ACORNS. 415 



leaves are said to be the favourite food of the sloth. Galac- 

 todendron utile, the cow-tree of South America, the emulsive 

 juice of which is nutritive. (2.) Morece, mulberries and figs ; 

 edible fruits, and caoutchouc k the produce. Ficus carica, the 

 fruit of which, the common fig, is highly nutritive. Morus 

 nigra and several other species afford edible berries. The 

 leaves of the M. alba chiefly are used to feed silkworms. 



Stifaginacece, Stilago order. Antidesma pulescens and 

 Stilago bunias, the drupes of which are subacid and edible 

 natives of the West Indies. 



Podostemonacece, Eiver-weed order. Plants having the 

 aspect of mosses or liverworts, chiefly natives of South Ame- 

 rica. Some of the species are used as food. 



Piper acece, Pepper order. Pepper, betel-leaves, cubebs. 



Myricacece, Gale order. Myrica sapida has a slightly acid 

 fruit, which is edible. 



Betulacece, Birch order. From the saccharine sap of the 

 Betula alba a species of wine is made. 



Corylacece or Cupuliferce, Hazel order. Castanea vulgaris, 

 Spanish chestnut; the fruit, the common chestnut. C. Ameri- 

 cana yields a small sweet chestnut. In Germany and Switzer- 

 land swine are fed in large numbers in the chestnut forests. 

 Corylus avellana, the common hazel. There are many varie- 

 ties of hazel nut, such as the white and red filbert, the great 

 and clustering cob, and the Barcelona nut. Hazel nuts yield 

 an oil used by watchmakers. 



Fagus sylvatica, Common Beech. Its fruit, called beech- 

 mast, is eaten by pigs. F. ferruginea, of North America, has 

 edible fruit. 



Quercus robur, English oak. When England abounded 

 everywhere with oaks, the swine luxuriated in acorns. The 

 Q. castanea of North America produces large edible acorns. 



Juylandacece, Walnut order. Carya alia, the common 



