OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 403 



As early possibly as this date (Graha Munjari tables, Puranas, and Bentl.), Subala reigning in 

 Hindustan. 



" 141, Jan. 17th, Tuesday, two hours before midnight" (Blair), eclipse of the moon. Observed at 

 Alexandria. 



" The same year " (Blair, and Clint.), in Spain, commencement of war between the Romans and 

 the Numantians under Viriathus. — The war continued eight years. 



" 140 B. C. = 'ian-youan,' 1st year of Wou-ti or Hiao-wou-ti, of the Han" or Seventh dynasty 

 (Chinese chron. table). He abolished the law of primogeniture in the succession to principalities ; 

 and founded a national library (Pauth.). 



Competent ambassadors were also sent by Wou-ti to different mercantile nations ; where they 

 were well received, and obtained " pearls, precious stones, various curiosities, yellow gold, etc.; " since 

 which time these articles have continued to flow into China (Topog. Cant., and Pauth. 472).* 

 " 139 B. C." (Val. Max., and Clint.), " Chaldaeans " or astrologers banished from Rome. 

 " 138 B. C." (Clint, iii. p. 346), Demetrius II. leading an army into Persia, captured by Arsaces. 

 The'government of Syria now seized by Antiochus Sidetes, brother of Demetrius II. 



" In this year" (Sm. b. d.), Attalus II. Philadelphus succeeded by his nephew Attalus III. Phi- 

 lometor, sixth and last king of Pergamus. Nicander dedicated his georgica to Attalus III. (Cic. de 

 orat. i. 16, Suid., and Spreng ). 



Nigella aristata of the Mediterranean countries. A species of fennel-flower called in Greece 

 " agrion kuminon " (Fraas) ; in which we recognize the KYMINON: ATPION of Nicander ther. 

 710, — growing according to Dioscorides mostly in Lycia, Asiatic Galatia, and Carthagena in Spain, 

 a span high, with leaves divk'ed as in "giggithion," five or six round soft capitula containing chaffy 

 fruit more acrid than in the "emSrou" kind : N. aristata is described by Sibthorp pi. 510; and was 

 observed by him, and Fraas, frequent on the hills of Attica. Westward, the " kuminon agrion " is 

 identified in Syn. Diosc. with the "kuminoum agrSstSm'' or "silvatikoum" of the Romans; seeds of 

 "cumini silvatici " are prescribed by Scribonius Largus 119; but the "cuminum silvestre " seems 

 chiefly known to Pliny xx. 57 from its medicinal properties and the account of Dioscorides. 



Nigella arvensis of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece " asperolollougi " or " me'la- 

 nohortaro " (Forsk.) ; and included perhaps in the " kuminon agrion " of Nicander : — the " kumi- 

 non agrion £t£ron " of Dioscorides, resembling the " em£r6 " kind, and having horns arising from 

 each flower, the contained seed like that of " mSlanthi6," is referred here by Valerius Cordus, and 

 Sprengel : N. arvensis was observed by Forskal, and Sibthorp, from Imros and the Dardanelles to 

 Cyprus ; by Delile, on the Mediterranean border of Egypt near Alexandria. Westward, is termed 

 " n. arvensis cornuta " by Tournefort inst. 258 ; and is known to occur in fallow ground as far as 

 middle Europe (Pers.). 



Dianthus arboreus of Greece and the Greek islands. A species of pink called in Greece " agria 

 garouphala" (Fraas); and the fragrant AIOC; AN60C of Nicander — (Athen. xv. 31) may be 

 compared: D. arboreus is termed " caryophyllus arborescens creticus " by Tournefort inst. 331; 

 and was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, on the maritime rocks of the Isthmus and 

 Greek islands. (See D. fruticosus.) 



Hypericum barbatum of the mountains of Eastern Europe. The mountain YTT6PIKON men- 

 tioned as an antidote by Nicander alex. 603, — may be compared: H. barbatum was observed by 

 Sibthorp on mount Athos ; is known to grow also in Austria (Jacq. austr. pi. 259, Pers., and Engl, 

 bot. pi. 1986) ; and according to Sprengel yields a strong-scented resinous exudation. 



Scorpiurus sulcata of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece " margShorton : " the 

 CKOPTTI06IC of Nicander alex. 145, — or " skorpioSithe's " of Dioscorides, a little few-leaved 

 herb with "spJrmata'' resembling a scorpion's tail, applied externally against the sting of a scor- 

 pion, is referred here by Dodoens p. 71, and Sprengel : S. sulcata was observed by Sibthorp, and 

 Fraas, in waste and cultivated ground from Caria and the Greek islands to the Peloponnesus. Far- 

 ther South, was observed by Delile around cultivated fields in Lower Egypt. Westward, the account 

 by Pliny xxii. 17 of the "scorpio herba " having few leaves with "semen" like a scorpion's tail, 



* Armeniaca Sinensis of China. The "kin-hing" highly prized by the emperor Wou-ti of the 

 H an ^_ (Cibot in mem. Chin. v. . ), was perhaps the Chinese apricot. The apricots seen by Cibot, 

 are described by him as of " nearly the same size, colour, form, and flavour as in France : " but 

 amono- imported Chinese preserves, I have found a fruit agreeing with the apricot even to the shape 

 of the stone except only one or more excavated grooves on its surface, somewhat after the manner of 

 the peach. In Japan, the " kjoo " or " kara momu,'' regarded as introduced from China, was seen by 

 Kaempfer v. p. 798, and though not distinguished from A. vulgaris by Thunberg, is described by him 

 as a very large tree " arbor magna et vasta ramosissima." 



