STATE rOMOLO<iICAL SOCIETY. 95 



this pernicious practice, aud stringent laws should be passed to punish 

 offenders. 



The ladies, too, are iu a great measure responsible for the killing off of 

 the birds. Millions of birdskius have been taken aunuall}- from some 

 small sections of the country for ornamenting ladies" hats and bonnets. 

 I am sure no woman who stops to think of the cruelty of this slaughter 

 of parent birds would ever wear a birdskin upon her hat. 



How shall we preserve the few that remain? By wise laws aud by 

 teaching the young the importance of birds, and the beauty of birds. 



THE FOOD VALUE OF XUTS AXD FRUITS. 

 By AxxA Barrows, Boston. 



Within a few years there has been a great deal written and said about 

 the use of nuts as food aud there is every reason to suppose that this 

 interest will increase rather than diminish. The United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture has issued a bulletin receutlj' upon the cultivation 

 and use of peanuts; aud before long will send out another about nuts 

 proper, for although similar in composition to the walnut, almond, etc., 

 the peanut, or ground nut, belongs to a wholly different class of plants, 

 the legumes. 



Xuts are clean, wholesome food aud afford little opportunity for 

 adulteration. The only objection to their use for food is that, like cheese, 

 they are over rich in nutriment, and hence indigestible unless eaten care- 

 fully. Fruits and nuts may therefore be combined to advantage, the one 

 to dilute the other. 



The early races of men undoubtedlj' made use of the fruits and nuts 

 furnished by nature, even the bittei' acorn served as a food. The degeu- 

 erac}^ of the teeth of mankind in the present era has been ascribed to 

 lack of exercise in cracking nuts. 



The cocoanut palm furnishes the South Sea Islander with much food 

 material, beside being useful to him in other ways. The fresh cocoanuts 

 are brought to our markets at certain seasons of the year and the dried 

 or dessicated preparations are much used in our sweetmeats. Xow a 

 preparation of the cocoauut oil is coming into competition with the 

 animal fats. 



All nuts are ric'i in fats and oils, which are expressed for many pur- 

 poses beside use as food. Because of this richness nuts spoil easily unless 

 carefully kept. Manj^ varieties of nuts contain nearly tifty per cent of 

 oil, hence are valuable as force-producing foods. 



Too often, nuts are eaten after a substantial meal when they will do 

 harm rather tiian good and their sustaining qualities have not been 

 recognized. A traveler will do better often to feed upon nuts aud fruit 

 rather than the usual dishes furnished at the average i-ailwav station. 



