STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 213 



tan,i 1703, calls the sqiaashes of southern Canada " citrouilles " and compares them with 

 the melon, which indicates a round form. 



These " squashes," now nearly abandoned in culture, would seem to be synonymous, 

 in some of their varieties at least, with the Maycock of Virginia and the Virginian water- 

 melon described in Gerarde's Herball ^ as early as 1621. 



The Perfect Gem squash, introduced in 1881, seems to belong to this class and is 

 very correctly figured by Tragus,' 1552, who says they are called Mala indica, or, in 

 German, iDdianisch apffel, and occur in four colors; saffron-yellow, creamy- white, orange, 

 and black. He also gives the name Sommer apffel, which indicates an early sqimsh, and 

 the names ziicco de Syria and zucco de Peru, which indicate a foreign origin. To identify 

 this squash, with its claim of recent introduction, as synonymous with Tragus' Cucumis, 

 sen zucco marinus, may seem unjustifiable. The Perfect Gem and Tragus plants have 

 the following points in common: fruit of like form and size; so also the leaf, if the 

 proportions between leaf and fruit as figured may be trusted; seed sweet in both; color 

 alike, "Qviae Candida forts and quae ex pallida lutea sunt poma." The plants are runners 

 in both. Compared also with the description of the Maycock, it appears to be the same 

 in all but color. A curious instance of survival seems to be here noted, or else the regain- 

 ing of a lost form through atavism. A careful comparison with the figures and the descrip- 

 tion given would seem to bring together as synonyms : 



Cucumis marinus. Fuch. 699. 1542. Roeszl. 116. 1550. 



Cucumis vel ZUCCO marinus. Trag. 835. 1552. 



Cucurbita indica rotunda. Dalechamp i: 116. 1587. 



Pepo rotundis minor. Dod. 666. 1616. 



Pepo minor rotundis. Bodaeus 783. 1644. 



Cucurbitae folio aspero, sive zucchae. Icon. IV., Chabr. 130. 1673. 



The Maycock. Ger. 919. 1633. 



The Perfect Gem. 1881. 



The distinctions between the various forms of cucurbits seem to have been kept in 

 mind by the vernacular writers, who did not use the words pompion and gourd, as 

 S3monyms. Thus, in 1535, Cartier ^ mentions as fotmd among the Indians of Hochelega, 

 now Montreal, " pompions, gourds." In 1586, Hariot * mentions in Virginia " pompions, 

 melons, and gourds;" Captain John Smith " pumpions and macocks;" Strachey,' who 

 was in Virginia in 16 10, mentions " macocks and pumpions " as differing. " Pumpions 

 and gourds " are named by Smith ' for New England in 161 4. In 1648, at the mouth of 

 the Susquehanna, mention is made of " symnels and maycocks." ' 



Lahontan, L. New Voy. Amer. 2:61. 1735. 

 ' Gerarde, J. Herb. 919, 921. 1633. 



Tragus Stirp. 835. 1552. 



Pinkerton Co//. Fov. 12:656. 1812. 



Pinkerton Co//. Foy. 12:596. 1812. 



Pinkerton Co//. Foy. 13:33. 1812. 



' Strachey Trav. Va. Hakl. Soc. Ed. 72. 1849. 



Smith i?it. JVcto Eng. 16. 1616. Force Coll. Tracts 2: No. i. 1838. 



' Desc. New Albion 2S. 1648. Force Coll. Tracts 2: No. 7. 1838. 



