36 THE PALMS OF EUFvOPE AND AFKICA. 



the name "puliiia" was originally applied, as 

 we may infer I'rom its being common in Syria, 

 Arabia, the lower parts of Persia, as well as 

 Egypt and the north of Africa, from whence it 

 has probably been introduced into the south of 

 Europe. It is also thought that the name is 

 not applicable to the other species known to the 

 ancients, because the bunches of fruit were 

 likened to the fingers of the hand, and this 

 likeness is expressed in the specific name of the 

 present species, " dactylijhrt," from the Greek 

 daktulos, a finger. It was once very abundant 

 in regions where now it has almost disappeared. 

 It formerly grew round Palmyra ; and that city 

 is supposed to have been named from its abun- 

 dance there ; for " Palmyra" is but a trans- 

 lation of its oriental name " Tadmor," supposed 

 to be a corruption of " tamar," a date. It was 

 the city Avhich Solomon built in the Syrian 

 desert, probably for the purpose of controlling 

 and increasing the trade with eastern Asia. It 

 has now, however, become a ruin, and with its 

 downfall the j^alin has nearly disappeared from 

 its vicinity. The tree has also almost vanished 

 from the Holy Land, though once so plentiful 

 there as to be the emblem of the country, for we 

 find it so depicted on the medals which com- 

 memorate the victories of Vespasian and Titus j 



