64 
The great difference between the quantities of food eaten during 
these four experiments may have arisen from .several causes. It may 
be that the almonds were more palatable, and that this accounted for 
the increased consumption of food in No. 4:02; or possibly the diet 
became too monotonous during the fourth period (experiment No. 407), 
and therefore less food was eaten. On the other hand, it will be 
observed that the maximum amount of food ingested was not with 
experiment No. 400, the iirst of the scries with apples and bananas 
with nuts, but during experiment No. 402, the second of the series, 
and that in the third experiment, No. 404, when Brazil nuts were 
used, there was a sudden drop of over 45 per cent in the protein and 
nearly 35 per cent in the energy in the diet. A comparison of exper- 
iments Nos. 412 and 413, in which there was an entirely different com- 
bination of fruits, also emphasizes the high digestibility of the almond. 
Notwithstanding the fact that almonds were used in experiment No. 
413, thus putting it at a disadvantage as regards the monotoiry of the 
diet, the coefficients of digestibility of all the nutrients and energy are 
appreciably higher than in experiment No. 412. In view of these data 
the conclusion seems warranted that almonds possess a higher coeffi- 
cient of digestibility, at least for this subject, than do either walnuts, 
Brazil nuts, or pecans. 
The reason of the low coefficient of digestibilit}' for protein in exper- 
iment No. 392, as noted earlier, is that the almonds eaten were ground 
to a paste and in this form did not agree with the subject, but caused 
indigestion. In view of this fact almonds Avere not compared with 
the other nuts in the foregoing discussion. 
It appears from the tables that the diet which resulted in the highest 
coefficients of digestibility furnished next to the highest protein and 
energy per day, and induced next to the highest net increase in body 
protein, was a combination of oranges, prunes, and walnuts. This 
dietary, however, was so laxative for the subject that the experiment 
had to be terminated at the end of the third day. 
The diet consisting of dates, olives, and walnuts, used in experiment 
No. 412, } T ielded the lowest coefficients of digestibilit} 7 . 
While it appears from Table 47 that a combination of apples, 
bananas, and pecans (experiment No. 407) is as digestible as a diet of 
oranges, bananas, and pecans (experiment No. 409), a reference to 
Table 48, showing the income and outgo of nitrogen, indicates thai in 
the latter case the loss of body protein is only about one-half that 
noted for the former,^ But it must be remembered that in experi- 
ment No. 409 about 25 per cent more pecans were eaten, thus sup- 
plying a notable increase in the daily protein as compared with 
experiment No. 407. 
Chemical analysis has shown that the apple contains ver} 7 little pro- 
tein, and a study of the data in Table 47 would seem to indicate that. 
