30 FLORA OF THE 



These were the war correspondents of those days. 

 Under such circumstances the artist would have had 

 ample opportunities of seeing young symmetrical trees 

 on the outskirts of the forests, which were suited to 

 the ornamentation of his bas-reliefs. 



The pine tree on the Monuments is so easily made 

 out that no more need be said about it just now. 



THE REED [Arnudo Donax). 



Another plant of the Monuments is a reed shown 

 on the river banks, on numbers 3,9, 10, 11, 56, and 58, 

 of the Kouyunjik Gallery. It is also shown on the 

 bas-reliefs in the basement. It evidently formed jungles 

 of reeds so dense that animals and men could hide 

 among them, as is graphically shown on numbers 57 

 and 58, basement. 



It is a tall reed, with graceful alternate long leaves, 

 terminating in a spindle-shaped panicle of grass-like 

 flowers. It appears to be no other than the Arnndo 

 Donax {thonax, the reed arrow) of Boissier's Flor. Orient, 

 (vol. 5, p. 564). 



He says its habitat is in damp places, near banks 

 of rivers, in Syria and Transcaucasia. The smaller 

 reeds are thin and light, and straight, and well suited 

 for the stems of arrows. If then it was not found 

 on Assyrian territories it was no doubt found in the 

 countries which those monarchs invaded and conquered, 



