BOOK XVI. IX. 27-xi. 30 



and goes on growing for a longer period, so as some- 

 times to reach the size of an apple. The best kind 

 comes from Commagene, and tlie worst is that pro- 

 duced by the hard-oak ; it can be detected by the 

 transparent hollows in it. 



X. The hard-oak suppHes a number of other pro- 

 ducts in addition to acorns ; it also bears both kinds 

 of oak-apples, and berries that are hke mulberries 

 except that they are dry and hard, also usually 

 resembhng a bulFs head, which contain a fruit 

 Hke the stone of an ohve. There also grow on it 

 Httle baHs not unHke nuts, having inside them soft 

 flocks of wool suitable for lamp-wicks, since they wiU 

 keep burning even without oil, as is also the case 

 with the black oak-apples. The hard-oak also 

 bears another sort of Httle baH with hairs on it, which 

 is of no use, though in spring-time it has a juice that 

 is Hke bee-glue. Also in the hoHows at the junction 

 of its boughs grow Httle baHs adhering bodily to the 

 bark and not attached by a stalk, the point of attach- 

 ment being white but the remainder speckled with 

 black patches ; inside they have a scarlet colour, 

 but when opened they are bitter <* and empty. 

 Sometimes also the hard-oak bears growths resembHng 

 pumice-stone, as weH as Httle baHs made of the 

 leaves roHed up, and also on the veins of the leaves 

 watery pustules of a white colour, and as long as they 

 remain soft permeable to Hght, in which gnats are 

 born. When they ripen they form a knot Hke the 

 smaH smooth oak-apple. 



XI. Hard-oaks also bear catkins : that is the 

 name of a smaH round baH used in medicine for its 

 caustic property. It also grows on the fir, the larch, 

 the pitch-pine, the Hme, nut-trees and the plane, 



407 



