1851.] Linnean Society. 125 



The paper was accompanied with a coloured drawing of the young 

 plant, and of a flowering branch, together with a detailed analysis 

 of the parts of fructification. 



March 4. 

 N. Wallich, Esq., M.D., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Read " Notes on Bdellium." By B. A. R. Nicholson, Esq., M.D., 

 of the Bombay Army. Communicated by the Secretary. 



Dr. Nicholson states that the tree which he identifies as producing 

 the Bdellium of Greek and Roman authors, occurs in the hilly 

 districts of North-western India, where it is known to the natives 

 by the name of Googul. He extracts the account of Bdellium from 

 Ainslie's ' Materia Indica,' and comments on some of the statements 

 therein contained. Thus, for example, Ainslie says that " all of this 

 gum-resin found in India is brought from Arabia, where the tree is 

 called Dowm ; " but Dr. Nicholson states that wherever the tree is 

 found in the North-western provinces, the bazaars are supplied with 

 the gum from it ; and that he never heard the tree called Dowm in 

 Arabia, although he has been in many parts of that country, where 

 he has seen the Googul. Dr. Ainslie again quotes Sprengel, who 

 erroneously states that Dowm is the Arabic name for Borassus fla- 

 helliformis, and cites Ksempfer and Rumphius in proof that Bdellium 

 is procured from that tree ; but Dr. Nicholson believes the Arabic 

 name Doom to be exclusively applied to the dividing-stemmed Palm 

 (Hyphane Thebaica, Gsertn.), which is common on the banks of the 

 Nile, in the Thebaid and Upper Egypt, two or three trees of which 

 he has seen growing at Mocha, and a single tree at the west end of 

 the native village opposite to the Portuguese settlement in the Island 

 of Diu in Kattiawar. He has frequently examined this Palm without 

 detecting any gum ; and it is well known in India that the Tari, 

 Borassus flabelliformis, does not produce gum. Another Palm, Cha- 

 meerops humilis, L., has been also affirmed to produce Bdellium, and 

 Matthiolus is quoted as having witnessed the fact at Naples ; but 

 Dr. Nicholson states that he particularly examined this Chamczrops 

 at Girgenti in Sicily in all stages of its growth, in flower, in fruit, 

 and without either, and never observed anything like gum. 



After refuting these erroneous notions as to the origin of the gum. 



