with Descriptions of two New Species. 757 
plants are concerned, without discovering any tree of this 
affinity. 
Who first published the Maori tradition of the origin of the 
karaka in New Zealand, I have not ascertained with certainty, 
but I believe it was Sir George Grey 1 , and it is repeated by 
Dr. A. S. Thomson 2 , W. Colenso, Hochstetter, Skey, Kirk, 
and many other writers. 
The Karaka as an Edible Fruit. 
Although Corynocarpus laevigata was cultivated in this 
country as early as 1824, Allan Cunningham appears to have 
been the first to publish (Ann. Nat. Hist, iv, 1840, p. 260) its 
Maori name together with some particulars of the fruit and 
seed and the preparation of the latter for eating. 
The flesh of this fruit could be regarded as edible only 
in the absence of more palatable and luscious kinds. In the 
first place it is very thin, only a line and a half (J in.) in 
thickness according to Banks and Solander’s description, and 
not good-flavoured what there is of it. Featon describes it as 
having a ‘ sweet, insipid flavour, which is much appreciated 
by the Maoris but rather distasteful to Europeans.’ He adds 
that even to this day (1889) the natives collect it in large 
quantities. But the large seeds were the important part. 
As already stated, they contain a highly poisonous principle 
in the fresh state, which is removed by baking or steaming 
and steeping in salt water. Thus prepared they constituted 
one of the principal and most valued articles of food. They 
were collected, prepared, and stored in a methodical manner. 
The intensely bitter, poisonous principle is described by 
Mr. W. Skey (Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 
iv, 1872, p. 316), who names it karakine. Chemical treatment 
of the extract proved that the principle does not contain 
nitrogen and is not of an alkaloidal nature, and that it is 
closely allied to digitaline. ‘ Its deportment with sulphate of 
copper and potash is strikingly similar to that of digitaline 
1 Poems, Traditions and Chaunts of the Maories, 1853. 
2 The Story of New Zealand, 1859. 
