THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 231 
the plant to be Sinapis alba. 
Salvadora Persica grows principally around the Dead Sea. 
Various species of Sinapis occur, and are found everywhere. 
White mustard is especially common around the Sea of Galilee. 
Balm of Gilead is as stated by Mr. Steel. 
The Russian monks at Jericho prepare a balsam from a 
tree common there, Balsamites Aegyptiaca, and call it Balm of 
Gilead, but there is nothing to justify this. 
Trusting that these notes may interest readers of Mr. 
Steel’s article. 
Repiy py THos, STEEL. 
I have read with much interest Mr. Carne’s comments on 
my paper, and welcome his discussion as an aid to a clearer 
understanding and fuller knowledge of a somewhat intricate 
subject. It is not surprising that I never heard of Mr. Dins- 
more’s publications, seeing that they were issued anonymously 
and apparently circulated privately. I would offer a few re- 
marks in reply to Mr. Carne. 
Box-wood.—Mr. Carne is quite correct in naming this Buus 
longifolia, my use of latifolia was a mistake in transcription. 
Mr. Carne says that this tree does not occur in Palestine. 
Dr. A. B. Rendle, Keeper in Botany, British Museum, says the 
native box-tree of Palestine is B. longifolia, “a small evergreen 
tree about 20 ft. high.” A tree of 20 ft. could scarcely be 
termed “shrubby.” 
Sir J. D. Hooker and Canon Tristram, in the Students’ 
Bible, indicate that the particular species is uncertain, but state 
that B. longifolia grows on Lebanon. 
I am still inclined to think that Box should not be classed 
with Gopher, the former being, I think, B. longifolia, and the 
latter Cupressus sempervirens. This is the identification con- 
sidered most probable by Rendle, while Hooker and Tristram 
adopt Cypress as the translation of Gopher. Balfour considers 
Box as being B. sempervirens, and Gopher he states “is sup- 
posed to be the produce of the Cypress or some other pine.” 
Cedar-wood.—The wood mentioned in Lev., 14 ch., 4, and 
Numb, 19 ch., 6, is considered by Balfour to be Juniperus ex- 
celsa, a tree “diva he states is common in Palestine, associated 
with the Cedar of Lebanon. Rendle does not name it, but re- 
fers it to a fragrant species of Juniper. It is quite probable 
that Mr. Carne may be correct in identifying it as J. Phoenicea, 
though it is equally probable that either species was used in- 
differently. The important point is that it was not Cedar. 
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