142 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
17 ch., 6. This is the Greek sukaminos and is largely grown for 
feeding silkworms, as well as for its fruit. 
Myrtle. This tree (Myrtus communis), Hebrew hadas, is a 
common plant in Palestine. It is mentioned (Neh. 8 ch., 15) 
as one of the plants gathered on the Mount of Olives to decorate 
the city during the rejoicings celebrating the return from cap- 
tivity in Babylon, but it has now become extinct in that locality. 
Tn Isa. 55 ch., 13 and 41 ch., 19, the prophet says:—“Instead of 
the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree,” and “I will plant in the 
wilderness the cedar . . . . and the myrtle.” It was a favourite 
plant, and the female name Hadassak, which is translated Hsther, 
is derived from the name. 
Oak. There are five Hebrew terms derived from one root 
which refer to the oak, the names appear to be interchangable 
and do not differentiate between the several native species which 
are now recognised. The Valonian oak (Quercus aegilops) is a 
deciduous tree, the fruit of which is edible. It grows freely, 
both in Palestine and across the Jordan in Bashan. It is re- 
ferred to by the prophets Isaiah and Zechariah, in foretelling 
the fall of Jerusalem (Isa. 2 ch., 183), “The day of the Lord 
shall be upon all the oaks of Bashan,” and Zech. 11 ch. 2, 
“Howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is 
come down.” ‘The timber of this species was used for oars in 
Tyre during its days of prosperity; “Of the oaks of Bashan 
have they made thine oars” (Hzek. 27 ch. 6). Another de- 
ciduous species (Q. insectifera) occurs also in the Holy Land. 
Q. pseudococcifera the evergreen oak is the commonest species in 
Palestine. This is the species which for centuries has marked 
the site of Mamre (Gen. 18 ch., 1), where Abraham entertained 
the angel visitors. The oak took the place of the terebinth 
which originally grew on the spot. 
The oak was clearly looked upon as an important tree. 
When Joshua announced to the people the law of God (Josh. 
24 ch., 26), “he took a great stone and stood it up there under 
an oak.” Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse when she died (Gen. 35 ch., 
8), was buried under an oak in Bethel, and the name of it was 
called allon-bachuth (the oak of weeping). Amos. 2 ch., 9, re- 
fers to the strength of the oak, in describing the destruction of 
the Amorite. 
In quite a number of places the word translated “plain,” 
should be rendered “oak” or “oak-grove.” Thus in 1 Sam. 10 
ch., 3, “the plain of Tabor” should read “the oak groves of 
Tabor,” in Judg. 9 ch., 37, in place of “plain of Meonenim”’ it 
