182 FLOllA DOMESTICA. 



shells, which will sometimes contain five, six, or seven 

 gallons. The Warted Gourd called by the French le 

 potiron a verrues > la barbarine is gathered when half- 

 grown by the Americans, and boiled as a sauce to their 

 meat. The Water Melon in French, la pasteque ; le 

 melon d^eau ; citronelle , concombre cltrin : in Italian, coco- 

 mero ; mellone : in Venice, anguria : in the Brescian, 

 sorgnel serves the Egyptians for meat, drink, and medi- 

 cine, from the beginning of May to the end of July. 

 They are eaten abundantly. When they are very ripe, 

 their juice, mixed with a little rose-water and sugar, forms 

 the only medicine which the common people take in the 

 most ardent fevers. 



The Pompion, or Pumpkin, called in France le poti- 

 ron ; le pepon , la citromlle : in Italy, zucca bernoccoluta ; 

 popone ; poponoino which in Europe is considered hard 

 of digestion, is reckoned in the Eastern countries as the 

 most wholesome of all the Gourds. In North America, 

 China, &c. the Squash Gourd in French, le pastisson : 

 le bonnet tfelecteur also is considered as an article of 

 food; and, as it will keep fresh and sweet for several 

 months, is very useful in long voyages. The fruit of the 

 Gourds, when unripe, is generally of a green colour, and, 

 if such a phrase may be allowed, a very green green. 



" Then gan the shepherd gather into one 

 His straggling goats, and drave them to a foord, 

 Whose caerule stream, rombling in pibble-stone, 

 Crept under moss, as green as any goord." 



SPENSER'S VIRGIL'S GNAT. 



*' Sometimes a poet from that bridge might see 

 A nymph reach downwards, holding by a bough 

 With tresses o'er her brow : 

 And with her white back stoop 

 The pushing stream to scoop 

 Jn a green gourd cup, shining sunnily." 



HUNT'S NYMPHS. 



