United States or French Polynesia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


The summer of 1813 was thus what the old settlers would call an "Off-Year," for even the small fruits on the plains were far from abundant. These being scarce, the chief food of the settlers for all that summer through was the "Prairie turnip." This is a variety of the pea family, known as the Astragalus esculenta, which with its large taproot grows quite abundantly on the dry plains.

Similarly the leaves of the Colocasia esculenta the tara of the Sandwich Islands will often shiver at irregular times of the day and night, and with such energy that little bells hung on the petals tinkle. And yet, curious to say, we are told that the keenest eye has not yet been able to detect any peculiarity in these plants to account for these strange motions.

At the end of five hours of a very tedious march we reached a stream called Wahboptah, which may be translated Ground-nut river, the savages being in the habit of digging up the Psoralea esculenta, a nutritive bulbous root which grows here. The stream was about thirty feet wide, and had some trees growing on its banks.

After some days of sore travel, during which he had no other sustenance than the root known by naturalists under the name of psoralea esculenta, he at length arrived in safety at Lisa Fort, on the Big Horn, a branch of the Yellow Stone river." Captivity and Flight. Heroism of Thomas Higgins and of Mrs. Pursley. Affairs at Boonesborough. Continued Alarms. Need of Salt. Its Manufacture.

"She was the only person near," answered Fred. "But do listen to this, mamma." Fred opened his book, and began to read: "'The green or water frog, esculenta, is about three inches in length, grass-green, with black spots. His eyes have a golden color, and the toes of his hind legs are webbed. His voice, which is often heard on warm summer nights, sounds Brekekex!

Rage, manifested by animals. Raia batis, teeth of. Raia clavata, female spined on the back; sexual difference in the teeth of. Raia maculata, teeth of. Rails, spur-winged. Ram, mode of fighting of the; African, mane of an; fat-tailed. Rameses II., features of. Ramsay, Mr., on the Australian musk-duck; on the regent-bird; on the incubation of Menura superba. Rana esculenta, vocal sacs of.

"Now we can have a little peace," said Fred, well pleased at the success of his trick; and he began to read. "'The green or water-frog, esculenta' " At this moment the house-door was opened, and they heard footsteps and voices in the passage-way. "Come," said his aunt, "let us look out at the little sick girl who is going away; then we will come back to the frog."

MR. STANLEY. "Java produces, in great abundance, the Hirundo esculenta, a species of swallow, whose nests are used as an article of luxurious food among the Chinese. This nest has the shape of a common swallow's nest, and the appearance of ill-connected isinglass. The bird always builds in the caves of the rocks, at a distance from any human dwelling.