292 Prof. G. Gulliver on Raphides and other Crystals. 
the panicles of the Byblus-rush, in order to record this interesting 
fact in connexion with so important an African plant as the 
Papyrus or Byblus, 1 should prefer to call this new Antelope 
Tragelaphus byblophagus instead of “7. Speki,” the name sug- 
gested by Dr. P. L. Sclater. Another character of this animal 
is very worthy of note—namely, the extreme length of the toes 
or fore parts of the hoofs, so that “it could hardly walk on the 
dry ground,” but of course most useful for traversing the mud 
and marshy shores of the lakes. This provision of nature re- 
minds me of the long tyes of the Water-rail, Gallinule, and other 
kinds of the family Macrodactyli of Cuvier, which he character- 
izes as having “les doigts des pieds fort longs et propres & marcher 
sur les herbes des marais ;” and in like manner, it adapts that 
Antelope to walking over, and being supported upon, the long 
stems of the Byblus-rush and other fluviatile “ plants so densely 
interwoven in the waters *”— or, in the exact words of the philo- 
sopher Seneca (Nat. Quest. lib. vi. cap. 8), ‘ita implicite aquis 
herbe ”—not only of the Upper Nile itself, but also of the 
reservolr-lakes which feed that mighty and sacred river. 
Feb. 19, 1864. 
XXIX.— Observations on Raphides and other Crystals. 
By Gruorce Guuiver, F.R.S. 
[Continued from p. 215.] 
Smilacee.—The following officinal drugs were obtained from 
the authentic dispensary of the Society of Apothecaries, through 
the courtesy of its worthy treasurer, Mr. Ward :—Red Jamaica 
Sarza, Honduras Sarza, Guatemala Sarza, and solid extract of 
Sarza, All the three roots abounded in raphides, generally seen 
within oblong cells, which, in the Guatemala specimen, often 
appeared as beautiful chams along the liber. This sample was 
remarkable for the scantiness of its starch, scarcely a trace of 
which could be detected; while the Red Jamaica and Honduras 
abounded in starch-granules and their cells. In the extract no 
raphides could be found; but it contained numerous quadratic 
octahedrons, about =1;;th of an inch in diameter, and exactly 
resembling those microscopic crystals which have been usually 
regarded as composed of oxalate of lime. These crystals are 
most easily found by diluting the extract with water, and then 
letting them subside to the bottom for collection. The examina- 
tion of the officinal American sort will be found noted under 
Araliacez. 
Dioscoreacee.—In all the few species yet examined we have 
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