OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 239 



sleeping beneath one is "the most sacred of trees with the Buddhists " (Mason v. 415 to 424) ; was 

 observed by Rheede i. pi. 27 in Malabar; by Graham, in the environs of Bombay, "always to be met 

 with planted about temples ; " by myself, around temples and villages to the end of my journey inland ; 

 by Ainslie, Roxburgh, Wight, and Drury, in other parts of Hindustan, the natives very unwilling to 

 cut it down, and the seeds leaves and bark employed medicinally. Farther East, was observed by 

 Mason indigenous in Burmah, and called " nyoung-bau-de ; " and is known to occur in Tropical 

 China, paintings on the dried leaves being often exported. (See F. populifolia). 



" 562, March " (= 562 y. 28f#£ d. = 597 y. 353^ d. — " 37th year " of twelve lunations, "the 

 twelfth month on the seven and twentieth of the month " 2 K. xxv. 27, and Jerem. lii. 31), at Babylon, 

 Jehoiachin released from prison by Evil-merodach " in the year that he began to reign," and provided 

 with a " daily " maintenance from the royal table (according to oriental custom with captive kings, as 

 witnessed by myself at Zanzibar. The date deduced by Clinton i. p. 319 to 329 from the Astronomical 

 canon does not correspond, being "561, Jan. nth "for the accession of Ilvarodamus or Evil-merodach. 

 See below). 



560 B. C. (= 538 -\- " 17 -f o y. 9 mo. -)- 4 years," and after reigning " two years," Beros. in Jos. 

 c. A. i. 20), Evil-merodach slain, and succeeded as king of Babylon by his brother-in-law Neriglis- 

 soor. — Who reigned " four " years. (See above) . 



" In this year" (Lacharme note to Chi-King i. 5. 7), Siang-kong reigning in China* (see birth 

 of Confucius). 



"The same year" ( . . . . Clint.), at Athens, supreme authority usurped by Pisistratus ; who how- 

 ever continued to administer the government according to the laws of Solon. Pisistratus is regarded 

 as the first Greek who collected a Library (A. Gell. vi. 17, and Athen. i.). This he rendered acces- 

 sible to the public. He also caused the poems of Homer to be collected, collated, and written out in 

 a connected form, under the charge of Onomacritus, Zopyrus, Orpheus of Croton, and Concylus ; 

 the earliest instance on record of editing books. 



Cirsium acarna of the Mediterranean countries. A thistle called in Greece "agri aggatho " 

 (Forsk.) or " agriagkatha " (Fraas) or "aspre agkatha" (Sibth.) ; and the extensive "akanth6th£s " 

 tract ordered to be cleared by Cyrus while inciting the Persians to revolt — (Herodot. i. 126) may 

 be compared : the " agriagkathon " is identified by Skarlatos with the " poluakanthos " of Theophras- 

 tus vi. 4. 3 : C. acarna was observed by Forskal, Sibthorp, and Fraas, abounding from the Pelopon- 

 nesus throughout the Greek islands to the Dardanelles, according to Chaubard often so abundant on 

 arid plains as to prove impenetrable ; is known to grow also farther East. Westward, the " polya- 

 canthos " is enumerated among pubescent thistles by Pliny xxi. 56 : C. arcana is termed " c. poly- 

 cephalos canescens aculeis flavescentibus munitus " by Tournefort inst. 451, and is known to grow 

 as far as Spain (Cav. i. pi. 53, and Pers.). 



Onopordtim Illyricum of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece " agkathi " or "gaithar- 

 agkatho" (Sibth.), and possibly the thistle in question: — the "akantha" having dry pappus accord- 

 ing to Theocritus iv. 50 and vi. 15, is referred here by Hogg : O. Illyricum was observed by Forskal, 

 and Sibthorp, from the Peloponnesus throughout the Greek islands to the Dardanelles, according to 

 Chaubard one of the most abundant thistles, and when the stem hardens in the autumn rendering 

 certain places impassable. Westward, is termed " carduus tomentosus acanthi folio angustiori " by 

 Tournefort inst. 441 ; was observed by Hogg in Sicily ; and is known to grow also in Southern France 

 (Lam. fl. fr., and Pers.). 



" 559 B. C" (Herodot., and Clint, i. p. 180, 204, and 259), Astyages succeeded by his son Cyrus ; 

 who uniting Media, founded the Persian empire. 



In the "first" year of the reign of Cyrus (2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, and Ezr. i. to vi. 5), a decree issued 

 by him, granting the Israelites permission to rebuild their temple at Jerusalem. 



Carissa edulis of Tropical Arabia. Called in Yemen "antur" or "arm,'' and the SSV arn 

 planted in Babylonia according to the later Isaian prophecies xliv. 14, — may be compared : the 

 " aran " according to Abu'l Fadli (Celsius, and Kitt. cycl. bibl.) is " said to be a tree of Arabia 

 Petraea, of a thorny nature, inhabiting the valleys, but found also in the mountains, where it is how- 

 ever less thorny ; the wood is said to be much valued for cleaning the teeth ; the fruit is in bunches 

 like small grapes ; the berry is noxious while green and bitter like galls ; as it ripens it becomes red, 

 then black and somewhat sweetish, and when eaten is grateful to the stomach, etc., and seems to act 



* Cydonia Sinensis of Eastern Asia. A species of quince : the " coignassier " of a Tcheou nan 

 ode — (Chi-King i. 5. 10) may be compared : C. Sinensis was observed by Bunge under cultivation 

 in Northern China, its fruit inferior in quality (A. Dec). Westward, was carried to Bengal (Roxb. 

 ii. 512) ; and by European colonists to the environs of Bombay (Graham). From transported speci- 

 mens, is described by Poiret, and Thouin. 



