KERNELS AND MISCELLANEOUS OIL-NUTS. 103 



No alkaloids or cyanogenetic glucosides were present 

 in the N'kamba meal. 



The above results indicate that N'kamba meal should 

 have a nutritive value about equal to that of palm- 

 kernel meal. The meal appears, however, to contain 

 saponin, as it causes frothing when shaken with water, 

 and an attempt to gain further evidence on this point 

 will be made. There appears to be no record of the use 

 of Heisteria meal as a feeding stuff, and as it may contain 

 saponin, which is an undesirable constituent, it cannot 

 be recommended for this purpose. 



A further sample of these kernels received in July, 

 1917, was found to contain 18-1 per cent, of oil, calcu- 

 lated on the dry kernels, as compared with 16-3 per cent, 

 in the case of the first sample. Two specimens of nuts 

 from the Belgian Congo, which were very similar in 

 appearance to N'kamba nuts, have also been received 

 at the Imperial Institute ; they contained 15-6 and 

 13-2 per cent, of oil respectively, expressed on the dry 

 kernels. In view of the low yield of oil and the doubtful 

 quality of the meal it is improbable that these kernels 

 would be of value in this country, at any rate under 

 present conditions. 



The N'kula Nut. Another nut, less known, but which 

 the author found in abundance in the Liberian forests, 

 and which is not only of pleasant taste but remarkably 

 oily, is known scientifically as Coula edulis. This has 

 nothing whatever to do with the stimulating kola nut. 

 The scientific name (rather a foolish one) is a corruption 

 of the native term Nkula, given to this tree in the Gaboon. 

 The nut would, I believe, be a valuable addition to our 

 sources of vegetable oila and materials for food products. 



