oj.'. NATUllAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



mimes of Puwme Jacof, Pot-de-chambre Jacot, and Pomme de singe. 

 The tlesliv red mesocarp of their drupes is eaten by birds, and its 

 juice inijj^lit serve as a dye, like arnotto.' In Europe, we often 

 receive from ]\ladagascar and the Mascarene Islands rods of 

 so-called touchwood (Fr., hois a a/Iumer) from which we can in fact 

 obtain fire by rubbiny^ them briskly together. The wood, of very 

 little solidity, traversed by very regular medullary rays, and the 

 large spongy pith, would seem to indicate that, despite the doubts 

 that have been expressed, this touchwood is really that of a Tam- 

 bourisaa. 



Flac, Hist, de la Grande lie de Madagascar, 133. 



