219 
following return, which I haza png. ow: sources nolo in ths 
Government statistical papers 
Years. — Quantity. — Declared Value. 
Tons. ewt. £ 
1872 - B 68 0 1,927 
1873 - - 95. 40 1,195 
1874 - - 118. 0 6,226 
1875 - - TI2 ^0 5,744 
1876 - = I82 0 6,224 
1877 | = 220 0 11,318 
1878. = ` 108 -0 5,178 
1879 - - 09. 9 2,744 
1880 - - 183 12 6,123 
1881 - m 187 11 8,192 
1889  - i 339 17 15,581 
1883 - - 250 9,300 
1,858 11 79,752 
“I should — that the official entries show that those exports are 
confined to the northern island, and cnly from two ports there —viz., 
In order to test the value of the New Zealand P: as an article 
of food a supply of it was recently obtained for Kew by Mr. Thomas 
Kirk, Chief Conservator of State Forests, Wellington, New n eere) 
Hirneola polytricha. 
A. sample of this fungus, in the air-dried condition as received, was 
prepared for analysis by careful Suae and the removal of a few 
p of obviously foreign substances. It gave the following per- 
centages: 
Wate - 17°0 
Avimo (éliculited froth total nitrogen) -. 6'8 
Carbohydrates, digestible - - 70°5 
Carbohydrates, in meas - - -& 1*9 
Fat FUSE extrac t) - - a TS 
Ash - - - v 5 
few remarks as to these figures will prove useful in in appreciating 
the food value of this rs i First of all the nitrogen present does not 
all exist in the form of albuminoids. The c coagulable albuminoids, as - 
estimated by the phenol aiti; amount to 5*4 per cent.; the remainder - 
‘of the nitrogen occurring chiefly as amides, is not nutritive. If this 
result be accepted, the proportion of albuminoids to digestible carbohy- 
drates plus the starch—equivalent of the fat, becomes 1 : 13:7 instead 
of 1:10-9, as shown by tbe cna recorded above. Anyhow, 
‘this fungus is singularly poor in albuminoid or muscle-f | sub- 
‘stances, and differs fematkably des this particular rom the numerous 
U 64238.  s75.—10[90. Wt. 1. A 2 
