OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 375 



to R. Brown bot. cong. 58, occurs also in Equatorial Africa (A. Dec). Eastward, was observed by 

 Rheede ii. pi. 24 in Malabar; by Graham, and Nimmo, in the environs of Bombay, "in rice fields 

 during the rains ; " by Retz, and Roxburgh, in other parts of Hindustan ; by Mason, in Burmah ; by 

 Blanco, on the Philippines, and called in Tagalo "silisilihan." By European colonists, was carried 

 prior at least to " 1806" to the West Indies (Le Dru, and A. Dec). 



Damasonium Indicum of Tropical Hindustan. An aquatic plant with large cordate leaves, 

 called in Malabar " ottel afnbel " (Rheede), in Egypt " ouedneh cheytany " (Del.) ; and known there 

 as early possibly as this date : — observed there in rice grounds by Delile. Eastward, was observed 

 by Rheede xi. pi. 46 in Malabar; by Graham, and Nimmo, in tanks Bombay, and "generally through- 

 out the Concans ; " by Roxburgh cor. ii. pi. 185, in other parts of Hindustan. 



Scirpus {Isolepis) fistulosa of Tropical Asia. — Observed by Forskal p. 15 in moist cultivated 

 ground near Rosetta. Eastward, according to Delile p. 29, occurs also in India. 



Cypcrus difformis of Tropical Asia. — Described by Plukenet aim. pi. 192 ; observed by Delile 

 around Cairo and Rosetta; by Sibthorp, and Chaubard, at Patras in Greece; and according to Savi 

 and Parlatore flor. ii. (A. Dec), introduced into the rice grounds of Italy. Eastward from Egypt, 

 was observed by Graham in the environs of Bombay ; by Roxburgh, in other parts of Hindustan. 



Panicum (Oplismenus) colonum of Tropical Asia?. A grass called in Egypt "abou roukbeh" 

 geniculate (Del.) ; and possibly known there as early as this date : — described by Plukenet aim. pi. 

 189, and Ehret pict. pi. 3 ; and observed by Forskal p. 19, and Delile, along the Nile from Rosetta to 

 Cairo ; by Grant, on the Nile bank as far as '' 16°." Eastward, was observed by Graham in the en- 

 virons of Bombay ; by Roxburgh, in other parts of Hindustan, according to Persoon in cultivated 

 ground ; is described by Rumphius vi. pi. 5 ; and this or an allied species aboriginally introduced, 

 was observed by myself abundantly naturalized on the Hawaiian Islands. Farther East, was observed 

 by Humboldt and Bonpland (Steud.) in Tropical America. 



Panicum fiuitans of Tropical Asia?. Called in Egypt "zommeyr" (Del.); and known there as 

 early perhaps as this date: — described by Plukenet aim. pi. 417; observed by Forskal p. 18, and 

 Delile, at Alexandria, Damietta, and Rosetta ; and known to occur also in Arabia and on Madagas- 

 car (Pers.). Eastward, was observed by Graham in the environs of Bombay ; by Retz obs. iii. 8 to 

 v. 13, and Roxburgh, in other parts of Hindustan. 



" In this year (= 5th year of sixth Mikado," Humb. cosm. iv.), in Japan, land sinking in the 

 district of Omi an inland lake formed, and the volcano of Fusi jama makes its appearance, — " 12,441 

 feet" in elevation; whose most violent eruptions were in "A. D. 799, 800, 863, 937, 1032, 1083, and 

 1707," but has since remained tranquil. 



" 285, June 26th, Monday," (Blair), the Astronomical Era of Dionysius of Alexandria. Who 

 first found " the Solar year to consist of 365 days 5 hours and 49 minutes." 



Allium schoenoprasum of Northern climates. Called in Britain chives (Prior), in Germany 

 " schnittlauch " (Grieb), in France " cive " or "civette" or " ciboulette " (Nugent), in Italy "erba 

 cipollina" or " porro settile " (Lenz), in which we recognize the Egyptian " peshg " (ms. Par. 44. p. 

 333, from "pesh" to divide) and the KAPTON of Diphilus of Siphnos — (Spreng.) : the "skoro- 

 thoprason " of Dioscorides, large like the leek, partaking of the properties of the leek and garlic, and 

 becoming mild when cooked, may also be compared : A. schoenoprasum is known to grow wild in 

 Siberia (Pers.), and according to A. Gray also in North America, as far as the shores of Lakes Supe- 

 rior and Huron. Westward from Greece, the " porrum sectivum '' was brought into notice by Nero 

 (Plin. xix. 33 to xx. 21) ; the " sectile " is mentioned by Columella xi. 3; A. schoenoprasum has 

 been long cultivated in middle Europe, is described by Buxbaum cent. pi. 45, and is known to grow 

 wild throughout Northern Europe as far as Lapland (ft. dan. pi 971, Pers., and Fraas). 



"Nov. 2d" (Astronom. can., and Clint.), abdication of Ptolemy in favour of his son Ptolemy II. 



Philadelphus. The hieroglyphic ovals of Ptolemy II. Philadelphus occur on various monuments; 



as on the temple built by him at Philae : and his memory has always been cherished, from the patron- 

 age he extended to Literature, and the large additions he made to the Alexandrian Library. 



" In the ensuing winter" (Champoll.-Fig.), the noted Coronation-festival of Ptolemy II. at Alex- 

 andria. Described very particularly by Callixenus. 



Matthiola incana of the shores of the Mediterranean and Atlantic as far as Britain. Called in 

 Britain stock or stock-gilliflower (Prior) or ■wintey-^illiflower (Ainsw.), in France " girofle'e " (Nugent), 

 in Germany " levkoje " (Grieb), in Italy " for bianco " or " leucoio bianco " or " viole bianche " (Lenz), 

 in Greece "viola" (Fraas), in Egypt "mantour" or "kheyley" (Del.) ; in which we recognize the 

 A EYKOION flowers carried in the Coronation-festival according to Callixenus, — and produced in 

 Eoypt at all seasons according to Athenaeus v. 25 to xv. 17 : the coronary "lSukoion" is mentioned 

 by Theocritus vii. 64, Philonides, and the " l£ukoion porphuroun " by Dioscorides : a " Cheiranthus " 

 is enumerated by Forskal p. liii among the coronary plants of Egypt: M. incana was observed by 

 Delile and Clot-Bey, crowing about Cairo, cultivated besides for ornament ; by Sibthorp, and Fraas, 



