BEN NUTS. 



271 



probably one-half of tlie value of our watches is owing^ for 

 without such a means of diminishing the friction^ the 

 delicate machinery would soon be disordered by injurious 

 w^earing of the pinions, axles of the wheels, and other 

 rapidly moving parts. ' 



Ben Nuts, called in France Pois queniques and Chicot, are 

 also imported from the East Indies, and yield an oil which 

 is highly prized by painters in consequence of its fine limpid 

 and rapid-drying qualities. It is the seed of Moringia ptery- 

 gosperma, a small tree of rather anomalous character. In 

 consequence of its leguminous-looking capsules and doubly 

 pinnated foliage, it was referred by De Candolle and others 

 to the Natural Order LeguminoscB ; but it has been demon- 

 strated by Mr. Robert Brown and others, that it is totally 

 distinct from that Order : that eminent botanist constituted 

 the Order Moringea for this small group of plants ; but as 

 the terminology of Dr. Lindley has been generally adopted 

 in this work, Monngace<2 will be the most proper name for 

 the Natural Order. The Ben-nuts are somewhat larger 

 than horse-beans ; they are nearly round, inclining to oval, 

 with a slight flattening on two sides. Their colour is a 

 light ash-grey, with a polished shining porcelain appearance. 

 They are of rare occurrence in our markets. 



