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the pyxidia which the writer has examined were brought to this country by the im- 

 porters of Brazil nuts and represent the source of the nuts in which they deal. 



(c) The testimony of others, although comparatively scanty, should not be 

 overlooked, since it is improbable that the authorities quoted as stating that the 

 Brazil nut is the seed of B. excelsa have given the matter any exhaustive study. 

 After his description of B. nobilis, Miers states: "These seeds are known in 

 commerce as Brazil nuts ;" and proceeds to give statistics regarding their ex- 

 portation and use. Moreover, Berg's error regarding B. excelsa, although per- 

 haps adding to the confusion, is in reality indirect evidence of the same fact, since 

 it is doubtful if he would have confused the two species had he not been sure that 

 the specimens from which he made his description were those of the Brazil nut 

 which he, in common with others of his time, regarded as B. excelsa. 



Figure 49. Pyxidia of Brazil nuts from various commercial sources showing charac 

 ters which identify them with Bertholletia nobilis Miers (x^)- 



