nuff-boxes and other
articles, and in the Indian bazars they are used as weights.

186. ERIODENDRON ANFRACTUOSUM.--The silk-cotton, or God tree of the
West Indies. The fruit is a capsule, filled with a beautiful silky
fiber, which is very elastic, but can not be woven, and is only
used for stuffing cushions.

187. ERYTHRINA CAFFRA.--The Kaffir tree of South Africa. The wood is
soft and so light as to be used for floating fishing nets. The
scarlet seeds are employed for making necklaces. The Erythrinas,
of which there are many species, are mostly remarkable for the
brilliant scarlet of their flowers, and are known as Coral trees.

188. ERYTHRINA UMBROSA.--This is a favorite tree for growing in masses,
for the purpose of sheltering cocoanut plantations, and inducing a
proper degree of moisture in their neighborhood.

189. ERYTHROXYLON COCA.--The leaves of this plant, under the name of
coca, are much used by the inhabitants of South America as a
masticatory. It forms an article of commerce among the Indians,
who carefully dry the leaves and use them daily. Their use, in
moderation, acts as a stimulant to the nervous system and enables
those who chew them to perform long journeys without any other
food. The use of coca in Peru is a very ancient custom, said to
have originated with the Incas. It is common throughout the
greater part of Peru, Quito, New Granada; and on the banks of the
Rio Negro it is known as Spadic. A principle, called _cocaine_,
has been extracted from the leaves, which is used in medicine.

190. EUCALYPTUS AMYGDALINA.--The peppermint tree, a native of Tasmania.
It produces a thin, transparent oil possessed of a pungent odor
resembling oil of lemons, and tasting like camphor, which has
great solvent properties. The genus _Eucalyptus_ is extensive and
valuable. The greater number form large trees, known in Australia
as gum trees.

191. EUCALYPTUS GIGANTEA.--This stringy bark gum furnishes a strong,
durable timber, used for shipbuilding and other purposes. _E.
robusta_ contains large cavities in its stem, between the annual
concentric circles of wood, filled with a red gum. Many of the
species yield gums and astringent principles and also a species of
manna. The timber of these trees has been pronounced to be
unsu