Nov. 1899.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 243 



where Hindoos, who eat wheat and rice, escaped plague, 

 whilst those who ate the millets suffered from it. Of 

 course Europeans were liable to the secondary or milder 

 form of the disease — that is to say, they were liable to 

 infection through the air from persons who had contracted 

 the primary form of the disease by eating decayed millets. 



I have often thought that epidemics of plague may have 

 occurred in prehistoric times, and may have from time to 

 time affected mankind ever since they began to make use 

 of cereals. At all events, an early epidemic is recorded in 

 the Bible — in the first Book of Samuel, chapters v. and ^d. 

 (revised version). We are told there that a great pestilence 

 broke out among the Philistines, and that the men that 

 died not were smitten with tumours. Their priests and 

 diviners advised them to make golden images of tumours 

 and of mice, for evidently in this epidemic, as in all later 

 ones, mice suffered equally with men, since both feed on 

 grain. The pestilence is said to have lasted seven months, 

 and to have ended when the wheat harvest was being 

 reaped in spring, and the people had fresh grain to eat 

 (1 Sam.vi. 13). 



In the plains of Sharon and in the plains of Philistia, 

 millets were doubtless cultivated then as they are now, 

 though the principal crops may have been wheat and 

 barley. It is probable that the millets were more culti- 

 vated at that time in the country of the Philistines than 

 they are now, for the introduction of the American plant — 

 maize — (Zea mays) has caused the millets of the genera 

 Panicum, Paspalum, and Elc.usinc to be less cultivated than 

 they were. 



More Notes on Tree Measurements. By C. E. Hall. 

 Communicated by Dr. Christison. (With Diagrams.) 



(Read 9th November 1899.) 



In vol. xviii., 1890, of the "Transactions of the Botanical 

 Society of Edinburgh " will be found " Notes of Tree 

 Measurements at Sau Jorge, Uruguay," from 12 th January 

 1885 to 12th January 1890. 



