Selection of Elementary Species 105 



tombs have recently been opened by the Ger- 

 man Oriental Society. In them were found 

 quantities of the tares of the Triticum dicoccum, 

 one of the more primitive forms of wheat. In 

 other temples and pyramids and among the 

 stones of the walls of Dashur and El Kab 

 studied by linger, different species and varie- 

 ties of cereals were discovered in large quan- 

 tities, that showed their identity with the pres- 

 ent prevailing cultivated races of Egypt. 



The inhabitants of the lake-dwellings in 

 Switzerland possessed some varieties of cereals, 

 which have entirely disappeared. They are 

 distinguished by Heer under special names. 

 The small barley and the small wheat of the 

 lake-dwellers are among them. All in all there 

 were ten well distinguished varieties of cereals, 

 the Panicum and the Setaria or millet being of 

 the number. Oats were evidently introduced 

 only toward the very last of the lake-dwelling 

 period, and rye is of far later introduction into 

 western Europe. Similar results are attained 

 by the examination of the cereals figured by the 

 Romans of the same period. 



All these are archaeologic facts, and give but 

 slight indications concerning the methods of 

 cultivation or the real condition of the culti- 

 vated races of that time. Virgil has left us 

 some knowledge of the requirements of method- 



