THE CAMEL. 287 



Palum-ba (Arabic, Ham bok/i), a delicate, pale green, juicy, thornless Palum-ba. 

 plant, somewhat resembling the Jerusalem artichoke. Four to five feet 

 high, with yellow, convolvulus-like flowers ; the leaves are about three 

 inches wide, thin and delicate. The plant is not abundant, but is relished 

 by camels, sheep and goats. 



Siida ho (Arabic, El lubh)^ a small, hay-like grass, fairly abundant, Suda ho. 

 dry and withered in the hot weather, but valuable after rain. 



Mimosa creeper (Somali, Haarig^ haarig^ Arab. Baa naibh). A tree Mimosa 

 creeper, like a convolvulus, often found on the mimosa tree, without creeper, 

 flowers, but bright green leaves. 



Wild caper (Somali, lubbi ogi^ Arab. Toon dhoop). A tough, thorny, Wild 

 tangled, jungle growth, often found in immense wall-like masses. Of caper, 

 green colour, very tough, and covered with sharp thorns ; it has pink 

 flowers, and pink berries. The bush grows fifteen feet high and is met 

 with pretty frequently. It is eaten with avidity. 



Amaiteh (Arabic, Sainouth)^ resembles the English privet in every Amaneh. 

 respect ; not abundant. 



Mimosa (Egypt, Arabia, India). (Indian, Babul or Kikar^ Somali, Mimosa. 

 Kora, Arabic, Naawaith). — This is a tree 20 feet high, and covered with 

 formidable thorns, but the young branches are a favourite camel food 

 wherever it is found, and it is most valuable grazing. 



Hal/a, or alfa grass, a coarse desert grass which is found all over Haifa. 

 Egypt, and is a good fodder. 



In the Soudan, desert grasses known as " Sabas " and " Tress " are In the 

 the chief food, and the leaves of gum trees (sunt), acacias, date, and Scudan. 

 other palms are also eaten. 



In the Sahara, " getaf " bushes, which have a salt taste, are much In the 

 liked ; " irtem," a kind of pea ; " diel," a bush, which is only eaten when Sahara, 

 less than i^ feet high ; and several grasses, of which " halfa " is one, are 

 also consumed. 



In Somaliland, many thorn-bushes, including species of mimosa. In Somali- 

 afford grazing ; " dur," a long feathery grass growing in clumps 1^"^. 

 six or eight feet high, is an excellent food for camels, and its young shoots 

 for horses ; " daremo," a creeping grass like the Indian " dhub," "oryx," 

 a bluish grass ; and " durum," a short close-growing variety, are all 

 good. 



In India, the leaves of the " nim " and " pipal " trees, and the In India, 

 twigs of the " babul " (mimosa) are said to be the best browsing, but 

 at least fifty plants are utilised. The camel thorn (Suhtar khar) is 

 collected in October and November in the Pishin valley, beaten up into 

 bhoosa and stored for food. The hard kernels of the date fruit are 



