HKUODOTCS AS A BOTANIST. 87 



habitat of the lotos, the shrub, in one hue that can only 

 proptji'ly refer to the lotos, the water lily. 



"The lotos blows by every winding creek." 

 Homer, on the contrary, never mentions the lotos, the 

 water lily, or hints that any other plant save lotos, the shrub,, 

 occasioned among the Lotophagi oblivion of country, friends, 

 and home. 



Herodotus, who does both mention lotos, the water lily of 

 Egypt (Lib. 11, 92), and Lotos, the shrub of Cyrene (Lib. lY, 

 177), keeps tlio mention of the two plants and their two 

 countries quite apart and distinct. Also in this line of 

 Tennyson's : — 



" The yellow down 

 Bordei-ed with palm."' 



Egypt is vividly recalled to our mind's eye. The descrip- 

 tion may haply suit Cyrene too. But unless my judg- 

 ment is greatly at fault, "the Lotos-eaters " combines the 

 imagery of Greece with its Lotos the clover, Cyrene with 

 its Lotos the shrub, and Egypt with its Lotos the water lily. 

 Cyrene, wherein Homer and Herodotus unite to place the 

 Lotophagi, may likewise possess the Egyptian water lily. 

 For argument's sake let us suppose so. But which plant is- 

 it that Tennyson would assume occasioned the reckless 

 forgetfulness ? Lotos the shrub? or Lotos the water lily? 

 In one passage his description can only refer to the shrub. 



" Branches they bore of that enchanted stem 

 Laden with tlower and fruit." 



In another the language would apparently iTidicate the 

 yellow pollen of the corolla of Lotos the water lily. 



"Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos-dust is blown.'' 



To resume, a fourth species of lotus was known to 

 the ancients, and likewise a fifth, though it may 2iot be 

 so generally famous, or celebrated in classical or modern 

 literature. 



IV. — A North African tree, according to »Sprengel the 

 ceUis anstralis of Linnaeus, mentioned both by Theophrastus 

 and Pliny, like a pear tree with serrated leaves, bearing 

 leguminous fruit without taste or smell, distinguished by its 

 hard black wood, of Avhich statues, flutes, etc., were carved. 

 Hence At/Si)? Xcoto? is often used poetically by Euripides 

 for a flute. 



V. — Another lotos tree, Diospiirus lotus, which grew in 

 Italy, had a short stem with polished bark. Its luxuriant 



