348 pliot's eatueal histoey. [Book XVI. 



called from the remarkable broadness of its leaves. The acorns 

 differ also among themselves in size, and the comparative 

 fineness of the outer shell ; as also in the circumstance that 

 some have beneath the shell a rough coat of a rusty colour, 

 while in others a white flesh immediately presents itself. 

 Those, too, are more particularly esteemed, the two extre- 

 mities of the nut of which, taken lengthwise, are as hard as a 

 stone : and it is considered preferable that this peculiarity 

 should present itself rather in the shell than in the flesh : in 

 either case, however, it only exists in the fruit of the male tree. 

 In some kinds, again, the acorn is oval, in others round ; 

 while in others it is of a more pointed form. The colour, too, 

 varies considerably, according as it is blacker or whiter ; this 

 last being held in the highest esteem. The extremities of the 

 acorn are bitter, but the flesh in the middle of it is sweet; 55 

 another difference, too, consists in the comparative length or 

 shortness of the stalk. 



As for the trees themselves, the one that bears the acorn of 

 largest size is known as the "hemeris;" 66 a small tree with 

 a thick bushy foliage all around it, and often hollowed at the 

 place where the branch is joined to the trunk. The quercus 

 has a stronger wood, and less susceptible of decay : this also is 

 a very branchy tree, but is much taller than the last, while 

 the trunk is considerably thicker. The tegilops, 57 however, is 

 the highest of them all, and is much attached to wild, unculti- 

 vated spots. Next to this in height is the latifolia, but its 

 wood is far from being so useful either for building purposes 

 or for charcoal. When rough-hewn it is very apt to spoil, 

 hence it is that it is generally used in an unhewn state. As 

 charcoal, it is considered only economical in smelting copper ; 

 for the moment the workman ceases to blow, the fire dies out, 

 and hence it requires to be repeatedly rekindled ; while at the 

 same time it gives out great quantities of sparks. The best 



55 This statement is contrary to general experience in modern times, 

 the flavour of the acorn being uniformly acrid and hitter throughout. It 

 is not impossible, however, that the flavour may have been more palatable 

 in ancient times. 



56 A variety of the common oak, the Quercus racemosa of Lamarck ; 

 Sprengel takes it to bo the Quercus ballota of Desfontaines. 



57 The Quercus segilops of Linnaeus. It is a native of Piedmont, some 

 parts of Italy, and the island of Crete. 



