143 N. H. Ridley — The Jering fruit. [Nov., 



by Dr. Prain concerning this fruit, and what part of it is eaten by the 

 Natives. I have some doabts as to the tree being wild here ; it is very 

 common in and round villages, and the squirrels often carry the seed 

 in their mouths to some distance and dropping it only partly nibbled 

 disperse the plant everywhere, but I have never seen it far in the 

 jungles. There is no pulp or arillus on the seed, nor is the pod eaten at 

 all. The ripe seeds are boiled with wood ashes two or three times 

 on successive days, before being eaten. Many Malays are very fond of 

 it, although it exhales a foetid odour, which is communicated to the 

 eater, and especially to his urine. The smell is so nauseous that in 

 camp we always forbade the Malays to bring this fruit or the pods 

 of Parkia speciosa Hassle, which produce the same effect, into camp. 

 If not properly prepared the Jering produces diarrhoea and sickness, 

 and if too much is eaten stricture, for which Alchornea villosa^ Miill. 

 is considered an antidote. It is always diuretic, and often causes the 

 urine to have a milky colour. Many Malays are unable to eat it at all 

 as it always makes them ill, and indeed it seems always to require 

 some practice, as persons unaccustomed to it suffer. The Malays say 

 that it tastes like chestnuts, and it is curious that they should be so 

 fond of such a detestable food, if it is no more attractive than this. 

 The more aristocratic Malays will not eat it, and I am told it is for- 

 bidden to Hadjis. 



The pods of Parkia speciosa are more popular, and a more ex- 

 pensive dish. They are cut up and cooked with curry stuffs. Though 

 they cause the eater to exhale a very similar nauseous odour, they are 

 said not to be so diuretic, nor to produce sickness like the Jering, 

 though in excess they cause diarrhoea. They are called " Petai," The 

 tree is certainly wild here, and not very often cultivated, but wild trees 

 are often enclosed or claimed by some Malay who makes an orchard 

 round them. 



Dr. Prain, who is unable to be present at this meeting communi- 

 cates the following remarks on Mr. Ridley's extremely interesting 

 note : — 



The questions proposed by me were : — " Is it the succulent pod " 

 (as Jack's account seems to imply), " a fleshy pulp " (as has usually 

 been stated), "or the seed itself of /mn<7" (as said by Koorders and 

 Valeton) "that is eaten P And has Jiring any pulp at all? If so, 

 is this pulp an arillus ? " 



Mr. Ridley's reply is clear. The seeds are eaten cooked, as Koor- 

 ders and Valeton say, and *' there is no pulp or arillus." The character 

 of the seed of Fithecolohium lohatum, given by Bentham and copied by 



