1858.] COCKLE. A NUT TO CRACK. 469 



surrounded by one or by two series of floral envelopes, or by 

 none at all. In common or even scientific language, such 

 flowers may be termed perfect, without any risk of ambiguity. 

 It is only surmised that it is not a synonym of monoecious. 

 Finally, we hoped that our learned correspondent who intro- 

 duced the word would have given its explanation. The answer 

 above tendered is offered with some misgivings that its import has 

 been by us misapprehended ; but we have done our best. — Ed. 



COCKLE.— A NUT TO CRACK. 

 (See ' Phytologist ' for April, 1858.) 



We must refer to the monkish records to know what cockle 

 bread was, unless our botanists will satisfy us that it was made 

 of the seeds of the Corn Cockle [Agrostemma Githago), which, 

 although the pericarp is black, contains a very white substance, 

 like flour, and may be wholesome. 



That the translation of the Hebrew word in Job xxxi. 40, is 

 incorrect, there is no question. The marginal note in Bagster's 

 Comprehensive Bible is as follows : — " Cockle, noisome weeds. 

 Bashah, from bddsh, ' to stink,^ rendered ' wild grasses,^ is sup- 

 posed by Hasselquist to be the Solanum incanum or Hoary Night- 

 shade, which is common in Egypt, Palestine, and the East ; but 

 Celsius and Michaelis contend that it denotes the Aconite, a poi- 

 sonous plant growing in vineyards." 



There is not much difficulty in saying that the monks of the 

 Wormwood Valley did not use Aconite in their bread, which 

 would have been as destructive to them as the antimony which 

 we are told was taken by the monks of another Order to make 

 them fat. 



In the translation of Paulus ^Egineta, by Adams, he has the 

 following on Cockle : — " jEgilops. There is a great difficulty 

 in determining the grasses of the ancients. This may be seen 

 by consulting the Herbal of Galen on this subject. The present 

 article was probably ^gilops ovata. Dioscorides gives nearly 

 the same account of it as our author, who copies Galen. He 

 further mentions the juice of it, mixed up with flour and dried, was 

 laid up for use. The Arabians borrow closely from Dioscorides." 



Anti-Monachus. 



