articles of food. The fruit of _N. speciosum_ is
supposed to be the Egyptian bean of Pythagoras. The petioles and
peduncles contain numerous spiral vessels, which have been used for
wicks of candles. The fruit of _Willughbeia edulis_, a native of the
East, as its name implies, is eatable. The kernel of the mango can be
reduced to an excellent flour for making bread.

Not only from the Lichen tribe, but also from the Algae, fungi, mosses
and ferns man derives nutriment and valuable products. Some of the
cryptogamic plants form considerable articles of commerce,
particularly as food plants, affording gelatinous and amylaceous
matter, and being useful in medicine and the arts.

_Nostoe eduli_ is used in China as food; _Gelidium corneum_ enters
into the formation of the edible swallows' nests of the Japanese
islands. Agar-agar moss is shipped from Singapore to the extent of
13,000 tons a-year. Irish moss, Iceland moss, Ceylon moss, and some
others, are also of some importance. Iodine and kelp are prepared to a
considerable extent from sea weeds; one species (_Fucus tenax_)
furnishes large supplies of glue to the Canton market, and the
orchilla weed is of great importance to the dyer. It is principally as
food that I have to speak of them in this section.

In some of the islands off the Scotch coasts, sea-wrack (_Fucus
vesiculosus_) forms the chief support of horses and cattle in the
winter months. _F. serratus_ is similarly employed in Norway.

The _Laminaria saccharina_ is interesting from the fact of its
containing sugar. It is highly esteemed in Japan, where it is
extensively used as an article of diet, being first washed in cold
water and then boiled in milk or broth.

CARRAGEEN, or IRISH ROCK MOSS, _Sphaeroccus_ (_Chondus_) _crispus_,
abounds on the Western Coast of Ireland, round the Orkneys, Hebrides,
Scilly Islands, &c. It is purplish white, and nearly transparent, and
is largely imported to feed cattle and pigs in Yorkshire. It is also
used for dressing the warp of webs in the loom, and mixing with the
pulp for sizing paper in the vat. It swells up like tragacanth in
water; and, by long decoction, affords a considerable quantity of a
light, nutritious, but nauseous jelly. It is sometimes sold as pearl
moss, and is employed in the place of gelatine or isinglass for
preparing blanc-manges, jellies, &c. It fetches about L7 the ton.

AGAR-AGAR, a sort of edible seaweed, or tripe de roche, is found
growing on th