ON INTRODUCED ANIMALS AND PLANTS. H3 



The "kababat" of Ibn Masawia (as quoted by Haller), Honain, 

 Rhazes, Serapion, and Ibn Baitar, is considered to be cubebs (Piper 

 cubeba) . — This kind of pepper is said to grow wild in Java. 



The "lebleb" of Ibn Masawia, Ibn Amran, Alkanzi, Haly Abbas, 

 and Serapion, according to Egyptian usage, would seem to be the 

 Doliclws lablab. — Alpinus, Forskal, and Delile, found this plant culti- 

 vated for ornament in Egypt and Nubia. 



In "A. D. 832" (Marcel), Khalif El-Mamun visited Egypt: he 

 caused the Nilometer at Rhoda to be repaired; and Kufic inscriptions 

 sculptured on the building by his orders, are mentioned by Marcel. 

 According to Wilkinson, some of the Kufic inscriptions at Assuan are 

 very nearly as ancient (Thebes and Egypt, p. 455). 



In " A. D. 833," the accession of Motassem, the eighth Abbassid 

 khalif, took place. Coins, issued during his reign, are figured by 

 Marcel, p. 53. About this time, the Muslims obtained possession of 

 Sicily ; where they maintained themselves for more than two cen- 

 turies. 



The "sibistan" of Honain, Rhazes, Avicenna, Serapion, and Ibn 

 Baitar, is admitted to be one or both species of Cordia. The C. myxa 

 has been already noticed. The Cordia crenata is likewise a Tropical 

 tree, introduced into and successfully Cultivated in Egypt. — Where it 

 was seen by Alpinus and Delile. 



The "dend" of Honain, Hobaisch, Rhazes, Serapion, and Ibn Bai- 

 tar, is referred by Royle to the Croton iiglium. — This plant grows in 

 Hindostan ; but according to Alpinus and Delile, the imported seeds 

 are sold in the drug shops of Cairo. 



The "thalisfar" of Honain, Ibn Amran, Avicenna, Elhuri, and Ibn 

 Baitar, is referred by Royle to " the highly aromatic leaves of Rhodo- 

 dendron lepidotum." — This is an indigenous plant of the Himalaya 

 mountains. 



In "A. D. 842," the accession of Wathek, the ninth Abbassid khalif, 

 took place. 



According to F. Adams, mix vomica (considered to be the seeds of 

 Strychnos nux-vomica) is mentioned by Abram, Haly Abbas, Sera- 

 pion, and Ibn Baitar. — Nicolaus Propositus (122), speaks of "nucis 

 vomice." The imported seeds were seen by Forskal and Delile in the 

 drug shops of Cairo ; and according to Clot-Bey and Figari, the living 

 plant (a native of Hindostan) has been recently introduced into 

 Egypt. 



