420 ON THE MILLETS AND OTHER SMALL-GRAINED GRASSES. 



of coarse brown bread from tbe flour of the seeds. The numerous grains 

 adhere but slightly to the husks, and are easily shaken out ; the seeds 

 are of various colours. 



2. German Millet (Setaria Germanica). differs from the last in being 

 much dwarfer ; spike shorter, more compact, and upright ; seeds about 

 the same size, and of a dark greyish colour. There are two varieties — 

 a red seeded, which seems to resemble the Italian millet ; seed larger, 

 smoother, and of a reddish colour ; spike not so pendulous ; height 

 about four feet. 



And a small white seeded variety, spike larger than any of the pre- 

 ceding ; bristles much shorter ; height about four feet. 



This is the " moha " of the Germans, it is cultivated chiefly in 

 Moravia, South Hungary, and Lorrbardy. The seed is made into bread, 

 eaten instead of rice, boiled in soup and milk, and used for feeding 

 all domestic animals. 



Dr. F. Welwitsch sent specimens of two gigantic close-seeded millets 

 (Setaria), to the Exhibition, from the Portuguese Colonies in Africa. 



Paspalum, 



From paspalos, one of the Greek names for millet. 



Aullo (Paspalum frumantaceum), and Munyo andKGDRO (P. scrobi- 

 culatum), supply in India a cheap grain, which is considered whole- 

 some. The latter, under the name of Koodaka, is cultivated in the 

 Gawel range north of Berar, and forms the staple food of the natives. 



Fundungi — This is a small edible grain produced by Paspalum exile, 

 which is much cultivated and esteemed in Sierra Leone and other parts 

 of Western Africa by the natives, to whom it is known under the local 

 name of Hungry rice. It produces a semi-transparent cordiform grain, 

 about the size of a mignionette seed. The ear consists of two conjugate 

 spikes, the grain being arranged on the outer edge of either spike and 

 alternated ; they are attached by a peduncle to the husk. It is sown in 

 May and June, and ripens in September, and grows to the height of eigh- 

 teen inches ; its stems, which are very slender, are bent to the earth by the 

 mere weight of the grain. The grain is trodden out with the feet, and 

 is then parched or dried in the sun, to allow of the more easy removal 

 of the chaff and the process of pounding, which is performed in wooden 

 mortars. It is then winnowed with a kind of cane fanner, on a mat. 



Choua, or Chooa. — The seeds of Amaranthus frumentaceus, Linn., 

 A. oleraceus, and of A. anardhana are also gathered as corn crops in 

 India. The former is extensively cultivated in the Coimbatore district, for 

 the flour of its seeds, which is a great article of diet among the natives. 



Teff (Poa Abyssinica) is another African grain used for food. Bread 

 is made of it by allowing the dough to become sour, when generating 

 carbonic acid gas, it serves instead of yeast to leaven it. It is then 

 baked in circular cakes, which are white, spongy, and ot a hot acrid 

 taste, but easy of digestion. This bread, carefully toasted and left in 



