Dr. Noehden's Account of the BariJ/an-Tree. 127 



" Shelters* in cool, and tends bis pasturing herds, 



" At loop-holes, cut through thickest shade. Those leaves 



" They gather'd, broad as Amazonian f targe." 



' Pliny was familiar with the writings of Theophrastus, for he repeatedly 

 refers to him in his work, and it is evident that he almost transcribed the 

 passage, concerning the Banyan-tree, from that author. But he has not 

 done it with that accuracy, which ought to be expected, on such a subject. 

 He omits, or alters, some essential points. In speaking of the lower 

 branches striking into the ground, he does not notice the roots that issue 

 from those branches, which are the means of bringing the latter in contact 

 with the earth ; yet this is a peculiarity most remarkable. From Pliny's 

 account it would appear, as if the branches merely had a tendency to be 

 bent downwards, and thus reached the ground, where they afterwards took 

 root : but this is quite a false representation. He is equally incorrect, 

 when he assigns the measure of sixty paces to the circumference of the 

 upper branches, which Theophrastus gives as the dimension of the stems 

 of the different young trees, produced round the parent stock. He ex- 

 presses himself indistinctly respecting the shade, which proceeds from the 

 tree. Like Theophrastus, he says, that it extends over two stadia, or 

 about twelve hundred feet ; but he so places this in the context, that it 

 seems to be the shade of the upper branches of which he is speaking, in- 

 stead of that of the whole tree, which Theophrastus clearly designs. The 

 leaves Pliny characterizes by their breadth, which, he says, gives the idea 

 of an Amazonian shield, or pelta : the comparison should be as to the size 

 of the leaf generally, in which acceptation Theophrastus likens it to the 

 same shield. The reason which Pliny alleges for the smallness of the fruit, 

 is not such as an intelligent naturalist ought to have given : he says, it is 

 owing to the large leaf, by which the fruit is covered, and its growth im- 

 peded. This must mean, that the fruit, being excluded from the influence 

 of the sun, by the intervention of the leaf, is stunted : yet he presently 

 talks of the effect of the sun upon that very fruit, in maturing and sweeten- 

 ing it. 



* Inlrn sepem earn astivanl pastores, opacam pariter et munitam vallo arboris. 

 f Foliorumlatitudo peltce effigiem Amazonicce habet. 



