242 TRAVELS IN 
the wild almond tree, wilde-amandel, the nar- 
row leaves and fruit of which, {haped cxaftly 
like ours, differed only in the reddifli brown 
colour of the hufk. 
If fome fkilful botanlft would traverfe this 
beautiful country which I am now defcrib- 
ing, he would certainly find objefts highly 
worthy of his attention, and which might 
prove of great advantage to fcience. As for 
my part, I diredled my refearches to thofe 
. things only which I had never before feen, 
or which appeared extraordinary. Being in- 
capable of diftinguifhing the real properties 
of trees, plants, and (hrubs, I admired no- 
thing but their ftriking differences ^ fuch, 
for example, as the mofs or yellow lichen that 
adhered to them; all its fhoots being often 
ten or twelve feet in length : my people, in 
their language, called it hair; and in feveral 
cantons the trees were fo covered with it, that 
one could neither diftinguifh the trunk nor 
the branches, nor even a fingle leaf; which 
appeared to me very fingular. 
This moiS was of the utmoft fervice to 
me in preferving my birds ; and I ftrongly 
advife fuch ornithologifts as may be induced 
to vifit this very curious part of Africa, not 
6 to 
