1886.] " INaras.'''' Acanthosioyos Horrida Hook. 233 



The juice of the Naras contains really a principle which acts on 

 milk like the rennet of the calf. 



This " vegetable rennet," as I may call it, is not volatile. It is 

 therefore not the aroma of the Naras which spoils the milk at Walfish 

 Bay, but the negligence of the milk-boys, who eat Naras all the day 

 long, being certainly not over-cleanly and careful with their hands and 

 milk-pails. As there is no grass near to the bay, the cows are kept at 

 a place about seven miles off. The boys bring the milk from there 

 every morning, and it is a general belief that milk, brought by a boy 

 who carried at the same time a Naras, even in his bag only, will 

 turn. 



My experiments showed that there is no such active principle in 

 the aroma of the fruit, but as the coagulating power of the Naras-juice 

 is nearly 1 in 2,000, that means to say, that one drop of it is sufficient 

 to coagulate three ounces of milk, or a tea-spoonful for one gallon and 

 half, we can well understand how easily the peace of a Walfish Bay 

 kitchen is endangered during the Naras season. 



Concluding my little paper I may be allowed to draw your attention 

 to the two most remarkable facts connected with this plant. 



The first is the mere existence of it under such trying circumstances. 

 And it exists not only itself on these moving sand-hills, but it renders 

 there possible the existence of a whole tribe of natives, whom it 

 furnishes with food and drink. 



The second fact is the renewed proof that the man of science can 

 never rely upon the statements of others, for although in the country 

 of the Naras nobody doubts the fabulous quality of its aroma, this 

 Jtniversal belief is inconsistent with the result of exact experiments. 



