Chap. 24.] VARIETIES OF THE NET. 317 



covering, similar to that of the walnut, but thinner, with a 

 second coat in the shape of a shell. The kernel, however, is 

 unlike that of the walnut, in respect of its broad, flat shape, 

 its firmness, and the superior tastiness of its flavour. It is a 

 matter of doubt whether this tree was in existence in Italy in 

 the time of Cato ; we find him speaking of Greek nuts, 30 but 

 there are some persons who think that these belong to the 

 walnut class. He makes mention, also, of the hazel-nut, the 

 calva, 81 and the Praenestine 32 nut, which last he praises beyond 

 all others, and says 33 that, put in pots, they may be kept fresh 

 and green by burying them in the earth. 



At the present day, the almonds of Thasos and those of 

 Alba are held in the highest esteem, as also two kinds that 

 are grown atTarentum, one with a thin, 34 brittle shell, and the 

 other with a harder 35 one : these last are remarkably large, 

 and of an oblong shape. There is the almond known as 

 the " mollusca," 36 also, which breaks the shell of itself. There 

 are some who would concede a highly honourable interpreta- 

 tion to the name given to the walnut, and say that " juglans" 

 means the " glans," or " acorn of Jove." It is only very lately 

 that I heard a man of consular rank declare, that he then 

 had in his possession walnut-trees that bore two 37 crops in 

 the year. 



Of the pistachio, which belongs also to the nut class, we 

 have already spoken 38 in its appropriate place : 7 itellius intro- 

 duced this tree into Italy at the same time as the others that 



30 De Re Rust. c. 8. Some think that this was the hitter almond ; and 

 the word " acriore," used by Pliny, would almost seem to imply that such 

 is the case. 



31 Apparently the "smooth" or "bald" nut. May not a variety some- 

 thing like the hickory nut of America be meant ? 



3 2 Festus says that a kind of nut was so called, because the Praenestines, 

 when besieged by Hannibal at Casilinum, subsisted upon them. See 

 Livy, B. xxiii. Fee considers it only another name for the common hazel 

 nut. ' 33 De Re Rust. c. 145. 



34 The soft-shelled almond, or princess almond of the French: the 

 Amvgdalus communis fragilis of naturalists. 



35 This last variety does not seem to have been identified : the hard- 

 shell almonds do not appear to be larger than the others. 



36 Or "soft" almond,- a variety only of the Amygdalus fragilis. _ 



37 There is little doubt that Fee is right in his assertion, that this great 

 personage imposed on our author ; as no trees of this family are known to 

 bear two crops. 38 B. xiii. c. 10. 



