io6 FLORA OF THE 



of the design. As I have shown, the pomegranate tree was 

 seen in jungles, and its lovely and striking fruit — yellow 

 and red cheeked, with a quaint outline — must have early 

 attracted the notice of Syrian and Assyrian artists. 



Of course that in fig. 42 may have been meant for 

 a lotus bulb or seed-pod, but why should we discard the 

 idea of a pomegranate outline having been anciently 

 used as an ornament, when we know that both the 

 Egyptians' and the Assyrians were well acquainted with 

 the pomegranate ? Many of the Assyrian sculptures are 

 covered with pomegranate trees, and probably both the 

 tree and its fruit were very useful to those people. Any- 

 how, they must have had then varieties sufficiently choice 

 to be considered fit presents for the king or his ministers, 

 for we see them carrying piles of pomegranates to the 

 palace.^ 



We cannot for a moment fancy that these pome- 

 granate-like things were lotus seed-pods, which they 

 were carrying as presents to the palace, for they had 

 not only pomegranates, but figs, grapes, and choice dates, 

 and therefore were not likely to make presents of lotus 

 seed-pods. Again, why should we suppose those Assyrian 

 people to have had such bad taste as to have selected, 

 as an ornament, the ugly lotus bulb shown by Mr. 

 Goodyear,^ when they had a lovely red-cheeked pome- 



1 In the wall-paintings of 'El Kab,'a man is carrying strings of pome- 

 granates — {vide note on fingered citron, p. 67). 



- Nos. 42 and 43, Kouyunjik Gallery, British Museum. 



2 ' Grammar of the Lotus,' p. 28. 



