WILD SILK WORMS. 195 



3d. The embryo, that serves as a base to the pistil, be- 

 comes a fruit, covered with a woody and hard bark, that 

 opens in five follicles, at its maturity. Under these follicles, 

 are ranged, upon the five faces of the pith, which is in the 

 middle, two or three seed. These seed, formed like the 

 wing of a fly, arid almost as slender towards the point, 

 enclose at their base a seed, of a figure that varies, but 

 composed of two lobes which cover the germe. 



If all the flowers were productive, the cluster sustaining 

 the fruit would not be strong enough ; but it is rare for a 

 sixth part to remain. Notwithstanding where the fruit 

 begins to enlarge and lengthen, they would be taken at a 

 distance for a bunch of unripe grapes. 



The pith, rounded at its extremity, and presenting five 

 surfaces to which the seed are attached, is a spongy sub- 

 stance like the pith of the rush ; but it is more compact. 



The Chinese throw into boiling water the first buds and 

 tender shoots of the fragrant ash tree, then they take them 

 out, and steep them in vinegar, to eat with rice, as we 

 do pickles. It must be used very cautiously, under the pen- 

 alty of being covered with biles in case of impure blood. 



Physicians use the leaves, blossoms, and second skin of 

 the bark of the roots. 



As the fagara is ranged in the class of ash trees, and 

 from the descriptions given of it, it is probable that it is the 

 hou-lsiao, of the Chinese, on which the most beautiful wild 

 silk worms are fed, we will merely add the drawing to that 

 of the stinking and fragrant ash trees, without any other de- 

 scription, because it speaks for itself. 



The treatise on trees and shrubs, by the illustrious M. 

 Duhamel, is the only book where we have found some 

 details upon the fagara tree. If that of which he speaks 

 is the same as that of China, we dare predict to him that it 



