64 



CASE ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, and Greeks. An acid liquid 



32. is obtained by collecting the dew from the plant in the 



early morning ; it contains oxalic, acetic, and perhaps 



malic acid in solution. The Persian weight "nukhud,"* 



y^ oz. avoirdupois, is a seed of Cicer arietinum. 



No. 189. Series of seeds and models of pods of the 

 Field Bean, and Broad or Windsor Bean ( Vicia Faha^ 

 L.), a native of Persia and the borders of the Caspian Sea, 

 now extensively cultivated over the globe. Large quanti- 

 ties of the seeds, both of home growth and imported from 

 Egypt, are used in this country for feeding horses. 

 Cultivated varieties in the green or unripe state form an 

 important vegetable. 



No. 190. Lentils. The seeds of Lens esculenta, 

 Moench., an annual, the native country of which is 

 unknown, though it was cultivated by the Hebrews, and 

 in Europe since the days of the Roman Empire. It is 

 cultivated at the present time throughout the East, in 

 many parts of Europe, North Africa, West Asia, and 

 North- West India. The seeds of the cultivated varieties 

 vary considerably in size and shape, as will be seen from 

 the specimens exhibited. Lentils are used as food, either 

 whole, split, or ground, in the form of Lentil flour. " The 

 " foods in common use for invalids, &c., and known under 

 " the names of Ervalenta and Revalenta, and generally 

 " sold at extravagantly high prices, are essentially composed 

 "of lentil meal." 



On the bottom shelf of this compartment note seeds of 

 Lathy rus sativus, L., extensively cultivated in Southern 

 Europe and eastward as far as the plains of India. In 

 the latter country it is known as Jarosse or Gesse. In 

 the Mediterranean region the dried peas or seeds are used 

 as food, the pods are eaten green and the whole plant is 

 cut for fodder. In India there are about half a million 

 acres under this crop annually. In spite however of this 

 extensive cultivation the seeds are well known to possess 

 poisonous properties and their continued use by man and 

 animals has led to injurious results. 

 CASE Observe models of varieties of the cultivated Pea 

 33. (Pistim sativum, L.), probably native originally of 

 countries bordering the Black Sea. Presented by Messrs. 



