426 



Notices of Books. 



[Oct. 



would no doubt thrive in Bengal. Caoutchouc is also imported from 

 Penan g, the produce of Urceola elastica (As. Res. v. p. 157 and 167), 

 but I hope it will be also from the continent of India. 



" The expressed oil of the seeds of Jatropha Curcas, boiled with oxide 

 of iron, is said to form the varnish used by the Chinese for covering 

 boxes (Lindley). The juice of this plant is of a very tenacious nature* 

 and when blown into, forms very large bubbles, probably owing to the 

 presence of Caoutchouc ; this is also afforded by an African tree of 

 this order. 



" The dye called Turnsol, is yielded by Crozophora (Crofon) tinctoria, 

 as is a colouring matter by C. piicata (v. Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. p. 68) ; 

 also by Rottlera tinctoria, of which the strigose pubescence, like that 

 of Mucuna pruriens, is administered for expelling intestinal worms. 

 Several of this family yield hard and valuable timber in India, as Em- 

 blica officinalis, Rottlera tetracocca, Adclia caslanicarpa, species of 

 Briedelia, Cluytia, &c. African oak or teak is supposed by some to 

 belong to this family. 



" Though belonging to so dangerous a family, the leaves of Plukenelia 

 corniculata are said to be eaten as a vegetable ; and the domesticated 

 Arindy silk-worm (Phalceva Cynthia,) is fed upon the leaves of 

 Ricinus communis. (Roxb.)" page 327 io3ki9. 



" The tribe of Peppers is well characterized by the warm, pungent, and 

 aromatic properties for which some of the species have been celebrated 

 from the earliest to the present times, either as condiments, or for their 

 uses as stimulant and stomachic medicines. Of these, Piper nigrum, 

 affording the black and white pepper (Pers. pilpil) of commerce, 

 is, no doubt, the most celebrated. That of Malabar has long been con- 

 sidered the best ; but that of Sumatra, and many of the islands, is 

 reckoned nearly as good. Mr. Crawford states, * the pepper countries 

 extend from above the longitude of 96° to that of 115° E., beyond 

 which no pepper is to be found, and they reach from 5° S. lat. to 12° 

 N., where it again ceases. Within these limits, we have Sumatra, 

 Borneo, the Malayan Peninsula, and ceriain countries lying on the 

 east coast of the Gulph of Siam.' It is cultivated all along the Malabar 

 coast, and also near Courtallum. Dr. Roxburgh describes it as being 

 found wild in the hills of the Rajahmundry district. But this may be 

 the species which he describes under the name P. trioicum, of which I 

 have seen no specimens ; but the pepper Dr. R. states to be * exceed- 

 ingly pungent, and by merchants at Madras reckoned equal, if not 

 superior to the best pepper of the Malabar coast or Ceylon.' 



" The betle-leaf, P. Betle, pan of the natives, Sans. Tamboolee, Pers. 

 tumbol, so well known for its moderately pungent and aromatic proper- 

 ties, is cultivated throughout tropical Asia, and over a great part of 



