HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



123 



December, from our anchorage at Attack Island, we 

 saw large flocks of the Straw throated Ibis {Ibis stric- 

 tipennis) flying at a great elevation in the north-west 

 and south-west directions." At Yule Island, parrots 

 {Eclectiis polieloriis) start early in the morning in a 

 westerly direction, and return to the east in the 

 evening : he observed this also at Sorong Island, 

 north-west of New Guinea, near the Salavati. At 

 Kiwai Island, on the Fly River, early in the morning, 

 and a little before sunset, he observed thousands of a 

 black and white pigeon {Carpophaga spilloroa), and 

 they were also seen at Yule Island, going from the 

 east to the west to their roosting-places ; and in the 

 morning would be seen returning from the west to the 

 east. He considered this pigeon to be almost as 

 plentiful in this part of the world as the Passenger 

 Pigeon {Coliimba migratoriiis) in North America. 



The collections made will not only determine 

 the birds or mammals confined solely to New Guinea 

 and the more adjacent islands, but enable us to judge 

 of the geographical distribution of species ; and, 

 after an examination of its fauna, it may be decided 

 whether New Guinea maybe placed in the Australian 

 region, which would appear to be more correct than 

 dividing it into East and West. D'Albertis says, 

 " The most beautiful and characteristic species of the 

 north-west are also found far east of New Guinea, 

 and are dispersed from one end to the other ; for 

 instance, the Paradise Oriole {Seriaclus aureus), the 

 King Bird of Paradise {Cicinnurus regiiis), the 

 Superb Bird of Paradise [Lophorma atra), and 

 others, are all common from the north-west to the 

 most south-eastern part of New Guinea, at the same 

 time that there are many genera belonging to Aus- 

 tralia ; as Podiccps, Porphorio, Lobivaiiclhis, Mann- 

 codia, Plotiis, Myctcria, &^c. 



THE HISTORY OF OUR SALAD HERBS. 

 Part II. 



THE next plants or herbs which are largely used 

 in composing a salad with the foregoing ones, 

 are the Radish, Mustard, and Cresses, all belonging 

 to the natural order of the Criicifercc. The Radish 

 (Rap/iaiuis sativus) is mentioned by the writers of 

 antiquity, and the size to which they said these roots 

 attained must make the enormous Beet-roots and 

 Turnips which are exhibited in the present day at 

 our agricultural shows very diminutive in compari- 

 son, for in the Babylonic "Talmud" (which book 

 contains some very singiilar and doubtful records) it 

 is stated that the land of Jud^a produced such large 

 radishes that a fox hollowed out one of these enor- 

 mous roots, and made it his residence for a time : 

 after vacating this new kind of lair, it was put into a 

 scale, and found to weigh nearly 100 lb. (?) The 

 Radish was highly esteemed by the ancient Greeks, 

 for we read that in the oblations of vegetables offered 



to Apollo in his temple at Delphos, these plants were 

 presented in beaten gold, whereas beet was in silver, 

 and turnips in lead. Moschian, one of their chief 

 physicians, thought so highly of this root, that he 

 compiled one whole book on the Radish alone. The 

 Greeks appear to have known three varieties, one of 

 which was wild, and the other two cultivated. The 

 Radish was largely cultivated in Egypt in the days 

 of the Pharaohs for the abundance of oil produced 

 from the seed ; and as this root did not pay so much 

 tribute as corn, it was more profitable to the culti- 

 vator. Pliny states that the Radishes of Egypt were 

 better and sweeter than any in the world, because 

 they were watered with brackish water, and are be- 

 dewed and sprinkled with nitre ; and adds that salt 

 was considered necessary for the growth of these 

 roots. This author gives us an account of the Ra- 

 dishes known in Rome in his time. " We have," 

 says he, ' ' one kind from Mont Algidea, about fifteen 

 miles from this city, where the climate is cool, and 

 the soil produces fine radishes, the roots of which are 

 so transparent that one may see through them." 

 Another variety he describes that produces a root 

 like a turnip or rape, which is tender and sweet, and 

 is able to endure the frost and winter weather. The 

 largest kind came from Germany ; and some of the 

 roots he mentions as weighing 401b., which size was 

 gained by stripping off the leaves. 



The ancients used to boil their radishes, but the 

 Roman physicians recommended them to be eaten 

 raw, of a morning, with salt, before taking other 

 food. They also had a method of preserving them 

 by covering them with a paste composed of honey, 

 vinegar, and salt, and thus have them for winter use ; 

 but at all times they were considered injurious to the 

 teeth, nevertheless they gave a beautiful polish to 

 ivory. The seeds, parched and mixed with honey, 

 were given to cure short breathing ; indeed, this plant 

 was believed by the ancients to possess wonderful 

 medicinal properties. It was considered an antidote 

 against poison, particularly in cases where persons had 

 partaken of poisonous mushrooms ; and it is stated 

 that if a man rub his hands well with either the juice 

 of the root or tlie seeds he can handle scorpions 

 safely, and that if a radish be laid on one of these 

 reptiles it will cause its death. Varro, one of the 

 celebrated Latin writers on plants, tells us that at the 

 end of three years the seed of this vegetable produced 

 very good cabbages, which must have been rather 

 vexatious at times to honest gardeners, who might 

 have preferred radishes, as some author remarks. 



Our poet Thomson has described the patriots of 

 the city of the misti-ess of the world, sitting at their 

 frugal supper, — 



" Under an oak's domestic shade 



Enjoy'd spare feast — a radish and an egg." 



The Radish has long been in cultivation in this 



counti-y. Bullein, who wrote in 1562, says, "Of 



radish rootes there be no small store growing 



G 2 



