3 
others consider that the manna is a saccharine 
secretion produced from an insect of another 
species. 
“ ‘ The blacks of Goulburn Plains told me that 
the manna was caused by the Galang-galang , 
their name for the Australian Tettigonia.’ 
“ The subject is also mentioned in Periera, 
from which the following is taken : — 
“ c Manna Tamariscina, called also Manna 
Israelitarum, and believed by Dr. Landerer to 
be the manna mentioned in the Old Testament. 
He informs us that this exudation is produced 
through the puncture of Coccus manniferus , an 
insect inhabiting the trees of the Tamarix man- 
nifera , which grow abundantly in the neighbor- 
hood of Mount Sinai. The manna exudes as a 
thick transparent syrup, covering the small 
branches from which it flows. It is collected 
by the monks of the district during the month 
of August. The collection takes place very 
early in the morning, at which time, owing to 
the coolness of the night, the saccharine juice 
has become to some extent congealed. Later 
in the day the solar heat causes it to drop upon 
the ground. It is usually stored away in large 
earthen vessels, which are preser ped in cellars 
during the entire year. This tamarisk manna is 
sold in little vessels of tinned iron to persons 
who visit the monasteries of Sinai. Landerer 
purchased one of these of a pilgrim, and he 
found the manna to consist of a yellowish granu- 
lar syrupy mass, very sweet, and intermixed 
with the small leaves of the tamarisk. It was 
soluble in water and alcohol, and the aqueous 
solution readily underwent fermentation. 
“ ‘ The alcohol obtained by the distillation of 
this fermented liquid had a peculiar odour, re- 
sembling that derived from the fruit of Ceratonia 
siliqua, which contains butyric acid. The 
saccharine principle of this manna must, there- 
fore, be a sugar, and not mannite. The tama- 
risk manna is eaten in Palestine, and in the dis- 
trict of Sinai, as a delicacy, and is reputed to 
be efficacious in diseases of the chest.’ ” 
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