THE MULBERRY FAMILY. 



227 



fig is a native of Western Asia, and was in early times intro- 

 duced to the islands of the Mediterranean and Southern 

 Europe, where it has become indigenous and occasionally 

 attains the height of a tree. The fig is not a true fruit, but 

 a fleshy receptacle of a conical form, attached by the narrow 

 end, the broad end or apex having a small opening like a 

 pore, the true flower and seed lining the interior, which may 

 be seen on opening a fig. The fertilization of the fig being 

 considered peculiar, is termed caprification ; it is believed to 

 be promoted by a small winged insect, called Cynips, entering 

 the young fruit by the pore at its apex, and by the move- 

 ments of the insect the pollen is loosened from the anthers, 

 and thus comes in contact with the stigmas, as effected by 

 insects in the flowers of other plants. There are many fine 

 varieties cultivated. The dried figs that come to this coun- 

 try form a large article of trade with Turkey, the islands of 

 the Mediterranean, and part of the African coast. The first 

 notice of fig trees appears in Deuteronomy, chap. viii. ver. 8. 



Sycamore Fig Tree (Ficus sycamorus). A bushy tree from 

 30 to 40 feet high, forming considerable shade, having lobed 

 heart-shaped leaves something like the common fig, but 

 smaller. It is a native of Syria and Egypt, and has been 

 called Pharaoh's fig. The fruit is small, but produced in 

 great abundance, and is extensively used in Egypt for food. 

 Although its wood is light and soft, it is nevertheless very 

 durable, mummy coffins of ancient date having been found 

 made of it. 



That the sycamore tree was common in Palestine appears 

 evident from the circumstance that King Solomon made 

 cedars "to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for 

 abundance;"* also that it grew in the neighbourhood of 

 Jerusalem in the time of Christ, as we read that Zacchseus 

 " climed up into a sycamore tree "| 



India-rubber Tree (Ficus elasticd). A well-known tree 

 in this country, its large shining leaves causing it to be a 



* 1 Kings, chap. x. ver. 27. f St. Luke, chap. xix. ver. 4. 



Q 2 



