OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 589 



" The same year " (Clint), Joannes the third, after an interval of " more than ten months," suc- 

 ceeded by Benedictus, sixtieth bishop of Rome. Who founded the earliest monastic Order, that of 

 the Benedictines. — To the monks of this order, the preservation of many ancient writings is attrib- 

 uted. 



"In this year" (Humb. cosm. i.), a comet; the fifth one whose orbit is known from Chinese 

 observations. 



"575 A- D-" (Marius, and Clint.), Sigibert king of the French succeeded by his son Childe- 

 bert II. 



"578, Sept. 26th" (chron. Pasch., and Clint.), Justin II. succeeded by Tiberius Constantinus, 

 eleventh Byzantine emperor. 



"The same year" (Nicol.), by a synod in Egypt, Paulus Beth-Ucham Jacobite patriarch of 

 Antioch deposed. 



The "katas " of ashy plumage described by Schanfara as flying all night long to reach a pool of 

 water, — doubtless a species of Pterocles or long-winged grouse. Flocks of Pterocles flying high 

 overhead constitute a marked feature of the Desert, as witnessed by myself in Upper Egypt. 



Grewia tenax of Tropical Arabia. Called there " chadar " or " nabba," in which we recognize 

 the long yellow bow of Schanfara, — or the " naba " of which both bows and arrows are made accord- 

 ing to a poet quoted by Djewhari, Ebn-Doreid, and the Kamous (De Sacy chrest.) : G. tenax was 

 observed by Forskal p. cxiv among the mountains of Yemen. 



"The same year" (Lib. pontif., and Clint.), Benedictus succeeded by Pelagius the younger, 

 sixty-first bishop of Rome. 



"579 A. D." (Theophylact, and Clint.), Second campaign of Mauricius in Persia: and in 

 " March," death of Chosroes, and accession of his son Hormisdas III., nineteenth Sasanid king of 

 Persia. 



BarUria noctifloi'a of Tropical Arabia and the neighbouring Desert portion of Hindustan. 

 Called in Yemen "sokaejt;" the " Dhou-schatth " or " Dhou-tobbak " where gazelles drop their 

 young, mentioned by Taabbata-scharran, — may be compared ; '• schatth " and " tobbak " being plants 

 giving name to these places, according to Djewhari (De Sacy chrest.) : B. noctiflora was bbserved 

 among the mountains of Yemen by Forskal. Farther East, was received from the vicinity of Tan- 

 schaur " in aridis " by Linnaeus suppl. 290 (Pers.). 



" 580 A. D." (Nicol.), by a synod at Braine, Gregorius of Tours justified. 



" The same year" (Chinese chron. table), end of the Tchin dynasty. 



"581 A. D. = ' kai'-hoang,' 1st year of Wen-ti III.," head of the new dynasty of the Soui (Chinese 

 chron. table). He promulgated a new code of laws ; and among other innovations, wished to intro- 

 duce the division of the people into four castes — (Pauth. 280). 



" The same year" (Clint, iv. p. ix), end of the chronicle of Marius Aventicensis. 



" 582, Aug. 13th " (Clint, iv. p. 827), Tiberius Constantinus succeeded by Mauricius, now 

 twelfth Byzantine emperor. Learning and the arts were protected and encouraged by Mauricius. 



times, its leaves used as a substitute for those of the true betel : — observed by Wallich ; and accord- 

 ing to Mason v. 495 indigenous in " the Karen forests." 



Dioscorea sp. of Burmah. From the size and shape of the root called elephant-foot yam (M ason) ; 

 and from early times, cultivated by the Karens : — observed by Mason v. 464 abundant "in Karen 

 gardens, but is rarely seen among the Burmese or in market," the root white internally. 



Dioscorea fasciculata of Tropical Eastern Asia. The potato yam is called in the environs of 

 Calcutta " soosnialoo " (Drur.), in Burmah " ka-d\vas-oo " (Mason) ; and from early times, extensively 

 cultivated by the Karens: — observed by Mason v. 464 "exotic" in Burmah, the root "not much 

 larger than a kidney potato which it much resembles both in appearance and taste." Westward, 

 by Roxburgh, in the vicinity of Calcutta, largely cultivated and a starch made from its tubers 

 (Drur.). 



Dioscorea atropurpurea of the Siamese countries. The dark-purple yam is called in Burmah 

 " myouk-nee " (Mason) ; and from early times, cultivated extensively both by Karens and Burmese : 

 — described by Roxburgh ; observed in Burmah by Mason, enumerated as indigenous. 



Dioscorea dczmona of Burmah. Called " kywa? " (Mason) ; and from early times, its root though 

 very acrid eaten with that of other indigenous species by the Karens in times of scarcity : — described 

 by Roxburgh ; and observed in Burmah by Mason v. 465. (See D. pentaphylla). 



Bolbophyllum sunipia of the Siamese countries. An epidendric Orchid called in Burmah " ta- 

 zeen-ban " (Mason) ; and from early times, its sweet-scented straw-coloured flowers worn by Karen 

 youths in the lobe of the ear, and by maidens in their hair : —observed by Mason abounding in the 

 jungles. Transported to Europe, is described by Lindley. 



