314 



REMARKS ON A SUPl'POSED MANNA. 



face uf ihe rocks by violent tempests, which 

 transport it to a great distance, and throw 

 it on the ground, where it continues to 

 vegetate. This opinion is also held by M. 

 Leveille, a skilful observer, who has found 

 the remains of several other species of 

 lichens, mixed with the Lzcanora, upon 

 which he has remarked a kind of scar or 

 point of connection. Parrot's opinion, etc. 

 agrees with the greater part of the accounts 

 concerning it. 



In Persia, this lichen has been observed 

 forming layers of 0".12 to 0"'.13 in thick- 

 ness. Auciier-Eloi sent with his specimens 

 the following note: In 1829, during the 

 Avar between Persia and Russia, there was 

 a great famine in Oromia, southwest of the 

 Caspian. One day, during a violent wind, 

 the surface of the countr}' was covered by 

 a lichen, which /e/Z/nmi /ieai;c?z. The sheep 

 immediately attacked and devoured it ea- 

 gerly; which suggested to the inhabitants 

 the idea of reducing it to flour, and making 

 bread of it, which was found to be good and 

 very nourishing. The Persians pronounced 

 it a miracle, and failed not to attribute it to 

 Allah. The country people afTirm that 

 they never saw this lichen before nor after 

 that time. It is probable that it was brought 

 from high mountains, and cast upon the 

 plains by a tempest. 



An identical fact is given in latter years : 

 At the time of the siege of Herat, the pa- 

 pers mentioned a hail of manna, which fell 

 upon the city, and served as food for the in- 

 habitants. Herat is situated nearly 876 feet 

 above the level of the sea. 



But what are the original localities of 

 this singular plant ? Here is, on this sub- 

 ject, a translation which serves as a pream- 

 ble to the essay of Evers3iann: "It is evi- 

 dent that creating nature begins her work 

 by outlines, and gradually advances to su- 



perior formations, I shall give briefly a 

 singular example of this truth, which I ob- 

 served in the vast solitudes which extend to 

 the east of the Caspian sea. The deserts 

 of Kirghiz, which belong to the most re- 

 cently formed strata of our globe, and whose 

 late period is proved by rocky formations 

 which'still remain, already produce a growth 

 of lichen, which lays the foundation of a 

 more fertile subsequent vegetable growth. 

 Indeed, wherever the soil does not consist 

 of pure sand, but contains a mixture of sa- 

 line earth, the surface of the ground is there 

 covered with lichen, which, by its decompo- 

 sition, forms a new soil, fitted to nourish 

 more perfect plants." 



Notwithstanding its extreme whiteness 

 and starch-like appearance, the substance of 

 Lecanora esculenta does not become blue by 

 the action of iodine, and exhibits none of 

 the distinguishing properties of fecula or 

 flour. Besides, this lichen is not the only 

 one containing nourishment ; that of Ice- 

 land, Cetraria islandica, the Iceland Moss, 

 is eaten daily in its native country, and M. 

 Gaimand has seen it made into gruel, by 

 bruising and boiling it in milk or water.* 



A chemical analysis gives, for one hun- 

 dred parts of Lp.canora : 



1 . 75 of soft resinous matter, of a bitter taste, so- 



luble in ether,and containing chlorophylle, 

 (the green matter of leaves,) of a yellow- 

 ish green. 



1.75 ef soft resinous matter, insipid, inodorous, 

 and soluble in alcohol. 



1.00 of a bitter substance, soluble in water and 

 alcohol. 



2. 50 of inuline. 

 23.00 of gelatine. 



2.25 of the remains of lichen. 

 65.91 of oxalate of lime. 



99.61 



» The large black lichen which covers the rocks on Ihe 

 .summits of the mountains in our Hudson Highlands, is a 

 species of Gyrophora, popularly called Rock Tripe- Though 



