MIMOSA. 249 



woods of Brazil : of one of the species, of which the wood 

 is very Ught, the Indians make their canoes *. 



A species of the JNIimosa, called the Egyptian Mimosa, 

 or Egyptian Acacia, produces the gum-arabic. It is a 

 native of Egypt and Arabia, and, in its own countries, 

 grows to a considerable size. This tree was called by 

 Theophrastus, an Acanthus ; and is spoken of by Virgil 

 under the same name, in the second Georgic : 



" Quid tibi odorato referam sudantia ligno 

 Balsaraaque, et baccas semper frondentis acanthi ?" 



Georgic 2. 



" Why should I mention the balsam which sweats out of the fra- 

 grant wood, and the berries of the ever-green acanthus ?" 



Martyn's Translation. 



In this passage he is supposed to refer to the Egyptian 

 Mimosa. 



In the fourth Eclogue, where anticipating a golden age, 

 he speaks of the Acanthus as one of the plants which the 

 earth is to bear without trouble : 



" At tibi prima, puer, nuUo munuscula cultu, 

 Errantes hederas passim cum baccare tellus, 

 Mistaque ridenti colocasia fundet acantho." 



" Meanwhile the earth, sweet boy, as her first offerings, shall pour 

 thee forth every where, without culture, creeping ivy with ladies-glove, 

 and Egyptian beans with smiUng acanthus intermixed." 



Davidson's Translation. 



In the third, where he wreathes the Acanthus round the 

 handles of Alcimedon's cups, and in the fourth Georgic, 

 where he places it in the Corycian's garden, he alludes to 

 the herb Acanthus, commonly called, from its roughness, 



* See Prince Maximilian's Travels in Brazil. This author speaks 

 of these Mimosas as growing to a size even colossal, and diffusing a 

 delicious perfume ; which, together with that of the magnificent creep- 

 ing plants generally interwoven with their branches, attracts a great 

 number of butterflies and humming-birds, which hover about them 

 like bees. 



