380 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



tuted. Theophrastus, expressly mentions the presence of the white 

 poplar in Egypt. 



The fAaxt5v7)f aiyjipoio of Homer (Od. vii. 106), may be compared with the 

 aspen, (Populus tremula.) — Belon, met with the aspen at Constan- 

 tinople : and according to Clot-Bey and Figari, the tree is culti- 

 vated in the gardens of Cairo. 



The ai/Eipos of Homer, Hesiod, and Theophrastus, according to the re- 

 ceived opinion, is the Populus nigra. — This tree, has a native name 

 in Egypt; according to Forskal and others. 



The cliick-pea (Cicer arietinum), is in Egypt called 'hommos.' The 

 y.w\)Az of Homer, can be readily identified. Moreover, the singular 

 resemblance in the seed to the head of a ram, may account for the 

 xuafxoff, being "regarded unclean," by the Egyptians of the time of 

 Herodotus. 



The edible lupine, is in Egypt called ' termes.' The sp;?ivaoj of Homer, 

 can be readily identified. The statement of Theophrastus respect- 

 ing the ' woody stem' of the £p£§iv^o?, may also be compared. In 

 later times, however, w^e find the Greek name transferred to a diffe- 

 rent plant. 



It would appear, from the modern Greek usage, that the ^sa of Homer, 

 is possibly the vetch : though there is some confusion, perhaps aris- 

 ing from the practice of sowing mixed crops, for feeding cattle. — 

 According to Forskal, the Vicia saliva, is in Egypt called 'faurum;' 

 in which word, we readily distinguish the Latin ' far'. Tlie V. 

 sativa, however, is not enumerated among the cultivated plants of 

 Egypt. 



"With regard to the fjirjXov of Homer and Hesiod, it will be observed ; 

 that the plant, in all probability, was not received from Egypt , and 

 that the circumstance of the Greek word equally signifying a sheep, 

 seems to cover an allusion to the downy coating of the quiiice, (Cy- 

 donia vulgaris.) The ' malum' of Virgil, seems also to be the 

 quince. — I have had occasion to remark, that the quince, succeeds 

 better than the apple in the Arab countries. 



The Xcjroj of Homer, referred by Pliny to the ' melilotus,' is usually 

 considered to be the Melilotus officinalis. — Clot-Bey and Figari, 

 enumerate the M. officinalis, among the plants long known in 

 Egypt. 



Homer's account of the Lotophagi, may have some connexion with the 

 coincidence between the Arabic name of the fenugreek (Trigonella 



