1899,] D. Hooper — AkaJcia : an Ancient Eastern Medicine. 245 



SaR'COGRammus atronuchalis. The Burmese Wattled Lapwing. 

 One, Manipur Valley, Maixjb, 1899. 



HoPLOPTEKUs VENTRALis. The Indian Spurwinged Plover. 

 One, Kangalthana, November, 1898. 



Ardeola grayi. The Pond Heron or Paddy Bird, 

 One, Manipur Valley, March, 1899. 



*]SryROCA FEREUGiNEA. The Western White-eyed Pochard. 



One, Logtak. Oii«, Manipur. [This shows that the Western White- 

 eye does occur in Manipur, as stated by Hume, and doubted by Mr. E. 

 W. Oates. (Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 331). I may mention 

 that the Eastern sp-eci-es {N. hueri) is again scarce this cold season at 

 Calcutta]. 



PooiciPES -CRISTATus. The Great crested Grehe^ 



Two, Logtak, March, 1899. 



These birds are by no means uncommon on the Logtak between 

 November and February; the above specimens were rather late 

 sojourners. 



PoDrciPES ALBiPENNis. The Indian Dahchich. 



One, Logtak, March, 1899. 



These were very numerous on the Logtak, 



Akakia ; an Ancient Eastern Medicine. — By David Hooper, F.C.S. 



A substance called Akakia or Aqaqija is described in both old 

 and modern works on Indian Materia Medica, and is occasionally found 

 in the bazars of this country. 



Dioscoiides and Hippocrates are said to have described it as the 

 juice of a prickly tree and lauded its properties. Dr. Dymock avers that 

 this plant is mentioned by Theophrastus (iii. 4 ; iv. 3 ; vi. 1) under the 

 name of aKav6o<s^ and that Virgil (Georg. ii. 119) speaks of tlie same acan- 

 thus in the line " baccas semper f rondentis acanthi," no doubt in allu- 

 sion to the globular inflorescence of the tree. 



The botanical origin of the drug from the earliest records appears to 

 be a bush or tree yielding an exudation similar to gum arabic. Accord- 

 ing to Arabian and Persian writers, the tree from which it is pre- 

 pared is called " Karaz." This is the fruit of Acacia nilotica of Delile 



