THE JESSAMIN LE. 67 
cess is as old as the use of perfumes, and explains the 
frequent employment of omtments by the ancients; for 
many of the odorous essences they coveted were obtainable 
only by the aid of greasy substances, which served as 
vehicles for separating and preserving them. 
The most important species of Jasminum in respect of 
the production of commercial perfumes are /. officinale, 
which is here figured; J. saméac, a native of the East Indies, 
produciny: white flowers, which are followed by black berries. 
—the perfume known as oil of jasmine is obtained from this 
species ; and J. grandifiorum, also a native of the East 
Tndies, and closely resembling J. efficiwude, bat the flowers 
are larger, and reddish underneath ; from this is obtained a 
very considerable proportion of the essential oil of jasmine 
of the shops. A favourite garden jasmine in the East is 
J. angustifolinm, x bight twining plant, with star-shaped 
flowers tinged with red, and very agreeably fragrant. It 
is somewhat singular that when these plants are grown in 
our conservatories they do not appear to attract many 
insects, nor does the fragrant jessamine of the garden often 
enjoy the honour of a visit from a busy bee or an idle 
butterfly ; but Moore, with his exquisite taste in matters 
of detail, makes the jasmine of Asia Minor the resort of 
many vay insects, attracted by the rare fragrance of its 
flowers. In his delightful story of “ Paradise and the 
Peri,” he makes the “child of air,’ when searching for 
“the gift that is most dear to heaven,” betake her amongst 
the bowers of the “chambers of the sun”— 
“When, o’er the Vale of Balbec winging 
Slowly, she sees a child at play, 
Among the rosy wild flow’rs singing, 
As rosy and as wild as they ; 
