of Western Afghanistan and North- Eastern Persia. 79 



severe part of the winter. These roots are ordinarily very 

 woody, and are far beyond the masticating power of any 

 animal except the camel. 



Nerium odorum is very poisonous to camels and donkeys 

 — the donkey by experience keeps from it, camels never learn 

 to do so. Where the shrub is found occurring amongst 

 Tamarix thickets, near water, as in Baluchistan, it proves very 

 destructive to camels. It is as well to note that there are 

 two natural orders that contain plants that are poisonous to 

 camels, and which they themselves will not touch unless 

 pressed by hunger, these are Zygophylle^e and Thymel^ace^. 

 The plants in Zygophylle^ are Nitraria Schoberi, 

 Miltianthus portulacoides, Zygophyllum Fabago, and 

 Zygophyllum atriplicoides ; in THYMEL^ACEiE — Stellera 

 Lessertii and Daphne oleoides. Of the last plant, in my 

 first paper on the Kuram Valley of Afghanistan {Linn. Soc. 

 Jourmd of Botany, vol. xviii. page 90), I say, " Camels will 

 not eat this shrub except when very hungry ; it is poisonous, 

 producing violent diarrhoea. I feel certain that much of the 

 mortality of camels in the Kuram division was due to the 

 prevalence of this shrub. It was noticeable when camels were 

 grazing that the Daphne was not touched until all the other 

 shrubs had been eaten." 



There are three of the Leguminosse that I would also be 

 careful of, viz., Cercis Siliquastrum, Ammothamnus Leh- 

 MANNI, and SOPHORA PACHYCARPA, for the simple reason that 

 if camels are watched it will be noticed that they never 

 browse on these wilfully. 



Lygium barbarum is certainly not hurtful to camels, 

 although at the encampment at Zaru it looked as if this 

 shrub had been the cause of several deaths. 



Foldd, faulCid — jUj-i — steel. 



Foods — see Beverages, Bread, Cereals, Condiments, 

 Fruits, Milk and its products, Oils, Pulse, 

 Vegetables. Other substances (employed either 

 as foods, condiments, or as medicines). 



Other substances employed as foods. There are certain 

 substances which it is very difficult to classify under any 

 special head, as, though used as food — say Mannas by the 



