and the winged seeds are carried off by the first high wind that 

 blows, and removed far from the locality and the lowly plant 

 from whence they sprang, and the world is all before them. 



In some of my paintings the large seed pods might be supposed 

 to be growing on the same plant as the flower. I have placed 

 them in this position to show the manner in which they usually 

 appear in nature. However, the paintings mostly consist of two 

 or more plants, together with their whole belongings, roots, 

 branches, flowers, seeds, etc., etc. 



The paintings are in all cases measured ; they are exactly the 

 life size of the plants. In the painting of Stapelia grm^iflura 

 the leaves are not shorter than they often appear, although lu 

 many cases when they are amongst bushes, they are drawn out to 

 a much longer length than they are in my painting of the flower. 

 M. E. Barber. 



VI.-RAHAT LOUKOUM. 



Rabat Loukoum is the Turkish name of a sweetmeat much 

 consumed in Greece and occasionally offered for sale m Western 

 Europe. According to a report by Mr. W. H. Cottrell [K U. 

 Reports, Annual, No. 1362, p. 14]:-" the primitive article was 

 "flavoured with otto of roses and Ohio mastic. The latter drug 

 which is the product of Pistacia Lentiscus, was held m the greatest 

 esteem in the Middle Ages and down to the 17th century, Ohio 

 being long regarded as the only region in the world capable o 

 affording it. It is still used in the East as a masticatory and it 

 would appear possible that out of this use ' Kahat loukoum 

 developed." 



This seems more than probable. Masticatories of some kind 

 or other are used by all races. They increase the IJo^^, *>^ .^f^^ 

 which supplies the ferment which convert s the ^tarch of fo^ 

 into digestible sugar, and thus aids digestion. Jhis, however, 

 does not wholly account for their use, which is o en excessive 

 Mastic was perhaps one of the most primitive i^e swee meat 

 was probably at first only its vehicle. Now it has pi^cically 

 superseded it, and mastic only remains as a flavouring ingredient. 



The following account is extracted from the Jotirnal of the 

 Society of Arts for July 27, 1894, p. 756 :— 



-TheMevue d^ Orient says that of all the various descriptions 

 of confectionery prepared in Turkey, that known by the name ot 

 locoum enjoys the highest reputation. This «^^f f^^^^^^^^dTn 

 factured at Constantinople, Smyrna, and byra, ^nd js exported^^n 

 very large quantities, principally to Marseilles. There are different 

 kinds of locoum, according as to whether f^^.^f '?,^""^P"7.?T 

 essence of roses, pistachio, or almonds enter into its coi^Pos^tion. 

 In Turkish, locoum is called rahat locoum. It might ^e supposed 

 in seeing the warm and transparent colour of this «^^f ?^^^.=^^' ^f/^ 

 a variety of elements enter into its composition, and tnai u is ^ 

 difficult thing to make, but, as a matter of fact, only two mgre 

 dients are used, sngar and starch, and its preparation is very 



