Linnaan Society. 359 



according to the botanical affinities of the plants by which they are 

 produced, and enumerates the principal among them as follows : — 



1. Theohroma Cacao, L., and several other species of Tlieobromu. 



2. Valeria Iiidica, L. 



This tree (the Tallow- tree of Canara) is remarkable for producing 

 at the same time an excellent resin resembling copal and a solid fat 

 or tallow, suitable for the manufacture of candles. Mr. Solly has 

 examined several specimens of the oil, which all agree in general 

 characters with Dr. Babington's description, published in 1823, but 

 differ in some minor points. The peculiar fracture described by him 

 does not always appear, and is probably modified by the rate of cool- 

 ing and other circumstances. 



3. Pentadesma hutyracea, G. Don. 



4. Carapa Touloucoun<i, Guill. and Perrott. 



5. Guianensis, Aubl. 



6. Stillingia sebifera, Mich. 



For seeds of the Stillingia and specimens of the tallow prepared 

 from it, Mr. Solly is indebted to W. V. Hillyer, Esq., who received 

 them from Mr. Lay, Her Majesty's Consul General in China. The 

 tallow is pure white, has little or no smell, is harder than common 

 tallow, melts at 100°, and consists of 70 parts of solid and 30 of fluid 

 oil. Mr. Solly has found the seeds to contain two oils ; one a tallow 

 resembling that just described, which is contained in the white cel- 

 lular envelope of the seed ; the other a colourless or pale yellow oil, 

 which exists in the kernel and is readily obtained by expression. 

 This oil is fluid at all common temperatures, and it is evident that 

 the properties of the tallow will vary greatly according as only one 

 or both of these oils may be expressed. 



7. Bassia hutijracea, Roxb. 



Of the Choree Butter, the produce of this tree, Mr. Solly has ex- 

 amined two specimens, the first presented to the Royal Asiatic So- 

 ciety by Sir R. Colquhoun in 1826, and the second brought over by 

 Mr. Traill in 1834. Both samples were of a pure white colour and 

 of the consistence of tallow, the older being rather harder and having 

 a disagreeable rancid smell, while that brought over by Mr. Traill 

 is at the end of ten years perfectly sweet and free from rancidity. 

 The former contained 82 parts of stearine and 18 of elaine ; the latter 

 60 parts of stearine, 34 of elaine, and 6 of vegetable impurities. Both 

 were easily saponifiable, forming beautiful white soaps. 



8. Bassia longifnlia, L. 



9. latifoUa, Roxb. 



10. ?? Parkii, G. Don. 



Mr. Solly has examined a specimen of the butter of this tree pre- 

 sented by Dr. Stanger to Mr. Ward. It is of a white colour having 

 a slight tinge of gray, and has hardly any taste or smell. Its con- 

 sistence is nearly that of common butter ; it melts at 97° of Fahren- 

 heit, and consists of 56 parts of solid and 44 of fluid oil. 



1 1 . Laurtis nobiUs, L., and other species of Laurus. 



