167 



be far short ofal00,000 tons in Monghyr alone. Of this amount 

 a vast quantity goes to feed the forest birds and beasts ; but of that 

 portion which is collected by the natives by far the greater part is 

 eaten, and supplies nourishing food to the poorer classes. 



During the season of scarcity which prevailed at Behar during 

 1873-74, the Mahwa crop, which was unusually abundant, kept 

 thousands of poor people from starving. The residue of the Mahwa 

 ^which is not eaten is taken to the distilleries, and then with the 

 aid of rude pot-stills is converted into a strong- smelling spirit, 

 ^which bears considerable resemblance to whisky. "When the essen- 

 tial oil, which gives a peculiar smell, is removed, the spirit comes 

 very near good brandy. In the island of Car an j a, opposite to 

 Bombay, the government duty on the spirits distilled (chiefly from 

 this flower) amounts to at least £60,000 per annum. 



The fruit which follows after the corollas have fallen, yields 

 seeds from which a greenish yellow oil is produced. This is used 

 to adulterate ghi or clarified butter. This substance has some com- 

 mercial importance, inasmuch as it is worth £35 a ton for soap- 

 making. (Sapotacece.) 



17. Bauhinta variegata, Linn, a native of India and China, is a beau- 

 tiful shrubby-looking tree of 20 to 30 feet in height. The 

 flowers are handsome of a rosy-white colour. The dark wood is 

 sometimes called Ebony, but is of little use. The astringent 

 bark has been used as a tonic in medicine, and also for tanning. 

 (Leguminosoe.) 



J.8. Bertholletia excelsa, Humh. and Bonpl. — This tree which yields 

 "Brazil Nuts," grows to a height of from 100 to 150 feet, forming 

 large forests on the banks of the Amazon and Bio Xegro. The 

 seed-vessel is a hard woody globular shell, 6 inches through, con- 

 taining about 20 nuts beautifully fitting together in it. WTien 

 they are ripe, they fall from the trees, and the Indians go in great 

 numbers to collect them. They break the shell with an axe, and 

 send boat loads of the nuts down the river to Para. (Myrtacece.) 



19. Bigxoxia magxifica, Bull has large flowers, 3 J inches across, varying 



in colour from delicate mauve to rich purplish -crimson, with a fight 

 primrose-colour throat. It is a native of Columbia, and was first 

 introduced into English hot -houses in 1879. {Bignoniacece.) 



20. Bcehmeria xivea, Gaiidich — This plant is known variously as 



Ramie, Rhea and China Grass. The fibre extracted from the 

 young shoots is the strongest known, and also one of the most 

 beautiful, looking much like silk. But the resinous matter of the 

 stalk makes it very difficult to extract the fibre cheaply. The Go- 

 vernment of India more than 20 years ago offered a prize of £5,000 

 for a good extracting machine for it, but none has yet been invented 

 that gives satisfactory results. It is a native of Malaya. ( Urti- 

 cacce.) 



21. Caxaxga odorata, Hook. f. 8f Thorns. — The Cananga is a native of 



Burma, Java and the Phillippines, but it is cultivated as an orna- 



