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by writers; the “ vóupiéuron thénthrón” is mentioned by Demetrius Chlorus (schol. Nicand.) : B.
fruticosum was observed by Sibthorp on the seashore of Thessaly, but by Fraas, extending farther
inland in Southern Greece. Westward, is described by Anguillara p. 212 (Spreng.) ; is termed “ b.
arborescens salicis folio ” by Tournefort inst. 310 ; and is known to grow in rocky situations along
the Mediterranean shore of France (Linn. hort. cliff., and Pers.).
“ In this y e a r ” (Ptol. math. syn. vii. 2 and 3, and Blair), astronomical observations commenced
at Alexandria by Timocharis and Aristyllus. Who “ introduced the manner of determining
the positions of the stars according to their Longitudes and Latitudes ; ” referring them however to
the Equator.
Numenius, a pupil of Dieuches (Spreng.), possibly at this time writing.
Gei-anium asphodeloides oi the East Mediterranean countries. The XAAXHC of Numenius, a
leaden or copper-coloured flower, — is referred here conjecturally by Sprengel: G. asphodeloides is
termed “ g. orientale columbinum fiore máximo asphodeli radice ” by Tournefort cor. 20 and trav. ii.
pl. 14; is described also by Burmann geran. 28. 27, and Miller; was observed by Sibthorp on Parnassus,
by Chaubard in the Peloponnesus.
“ 294, March 9th, four hours before midnight ” (Blair), occuliation of the star Spica Virginis by
the moon, observed at Alexandria by Timocharis; the star according to his measurement, “ eight
degrees AVest from the Equinoctial point.”
“ Hardly later than this year ” (Sm. b. d.), Antiochus eldest son of Seleucus healed by Erasistratus.
Erasistratus resided some years at Alexandria, and made anatomical discoveries ; he divided the nerves
into those of sensation and those of motion.
Lythrum salicaria of Europe and Northern Asia. Called in Britain purple loosestrife (Prior),
in Germany “ weiderich ” (Grieb), in Italy “ salcerella” or “ riparello” (Lenz) ; the “ herbara iysima-
chiam ” discovered by Lysimachus and celebrated by Erasistratus, — growing according to Pliny xxv.
35 in wet ground and having upright branchlets, willow-like leaves, purple flowers, and if placed on
the yoke quieting disagreeing oxen, is referred here by writers : L. salicaria was observed by Forskal,
Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, frequent in wet situations from the Dardanelles to the Greek islands
and Peloponnesus. Westward, is described by Matthioli, and Clusius,; is termed “ partyke” or “ lysimachia
purpurea ” by Lobel hist. p. 1S5, “ saficaria vulgaris purpurea foliis oblongis ” by Tournefort
inst. 253 ; and is known to grow in Italy and throughout middle Europe as far as Denmark (Pers.,
and Lenz), often according to-A. Decandolle springing up in abundance on the removal of the forest.
Eastward from Greece, was observed by Kaempfer, and Thunberg, in Japan and called “ s ju ” or
usually “ fagi.” By European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where it continues under
cultivation (A. Gray), and has besides become naturalized from Upper Canada and Maine to the
environs of Boston (Doug., Nutt., and myself) ; was also carried to Australia (Dec.). According
to Lindley, is “ an astringent which has been recommended in inveterate cases of diarrhcea.”
Lysimachia atropurpúrea of the East Mediterranean countries. Possibly the plant discovered
by Lysimachus : — the “ lusimahion purron ” growing according to Dioscorides in wet ground, its
stems a cubit or more high and leaves willow-like, identified in the added Synonyms with the “ lutron,”
is referred here by Fraas: L. atropurpúrea is described by Commelyn rar. pl. 33; is termed “ 1.
orientalis angustifolia flore purpureo” by Tournefort cor. 7 ; and was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard,
and Fraas, in wet situations in and around the Peloponnesus.
Lysimachia vulgaris of Europe and the adjoining portion of Asia. Called in Britain loosestrife
(Prior), in Italy “ lisimachia ” (Lenz), and possibly included in the “ lysimachiam ” in question: —
the “ lusimahion hrusóéithés” differing according to Dioscorides only in the colour of the flower,
is referred here by writers : L. vulgaris was observed by Sibthorp in woods on the Bithynian Olympus
and around Constantinople. Westward, is described by Tragus f. 69 (Spreng.) ; is termed “ 1. lutea
major” by Tournefort inst. 141 ; and is known to grow in Italy and throughout middle Europe as far
as Denmark (fl. Dan. pl. 689, Pers , and Lenz).
“ 293 B. C .” (Blair, and Sm. b. d.), division of the day into hours adopted at Rome; and the
first sun-dial erected there by the consul L. Papirius Cursor. To avert a pestilence, the worship
of Aesculapius introduced at the command of the Delphic Oracle or of the Sybilline books (Val. Max.
i. 8, and Ovid. met. xv. 620).
Bauhinia scandens of Tropical Eastern Asia and the Malayan archipelago. A woody climber
called in Burmah “ myouk-hlm-ga” (Mason), in Tagalo “ banot” (Blanco) ; and its remarkably contorted
stem said to have been the origin of Aesculapius’ snaken rod —- (Loudon) ; B. scandens was
observed by Rheede viii. pl. 29 in Malabar; by Nimmo, and Graham, in a garden at Bombay, and
“ wild in the Concans ; ” by Roxburgh, Royle, and Drury, as far as Travancore ; by Mason 406, in
Burmah ; by Loureiro, in Anam (Steud.) ; by Blanco, on the Philippines ; and by Rumphius v. pl.
I, on Amboyna (Pers.).
“ The same y e a r ” ( . . . . ) , earliest contemporary Roman record, a Latin inscription on the
tomb of L. Scipio Barbatus, presenting the following forms of letters, D, F, G, Q, S, V ; the language
being essentially the same — as seventy years later in the time of Plautus,
About this time ( . . . . ) , by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian Library founded; and at the entrance
of the harbour, the 4>AP0 C or light-honse commenced. — The light-house was completed in the
reign of.his successor, and was much celebrated in after times ; continuing “ one hundred and fifty
cubits high” wlien visited by Abd-allatif i. 4.
“ 291 B. C .” (Jap. centen. comm. 45), end of the reign of Koan, sixth dairo of Japan. His stone
coffin is regarded as the earliest specimen of stone-cutting in Japan.
“ 290 B. C .” (Sm. b. d.), P. Cornelius Rufinus and M. Curius Dentatus consuls, at the end of
fifty-three years, the Samnites finally subdued by the Romans : peace concluded, and the Third and
last Samnite war ended.
“ 288 B. C.” (C. Mull, fragm. Megasth. p. 398, see also Strab. ii. i. 9), Sandrocottus or Chandragupta
succeeded by his son Allitrochathes or Amitraghata, now king at Palimbothra (Patna) on
the Ganges. — Deimachus was sent as ambassador to Allitrochathes (Strab. ii. i. 9).
Abrus precatorius of the wooded seashore of Tropical climates. A woody twining plant called in
Hindustanee “ gunj ” or “ ghungchi,” in Bengali “ gunj ” or “ kunch,” in Tamil “ gundu-mani ” or “ kunri-
mani ” (Drury), in Sanscrit “ gunja ” or “ krishnala ” (Lindl.); and as early probably as this date, its seeds
called “ re tti” employed in the Hindu system of w e ig h ts *— (Drury) ; the “ krishnala” is mentioned
in the Institutes of Manu viii. 134 to 330; an open mouth is compared in colour to a “ gunja” seed
by Bhavabhuti maha-vir. 5; and the “ kakachincha ” or “ kakadani ” or “ rak ta ” or “ hinsra” of
Susrutas iv. 30 is referred here by Hessler ; A. precatorius was observed by Rheede viii. pl. 39 in
Malabar; by Graham, “ very common” in the environs of Bombay, where I found it not altogether
confined to the seashore ; by Roxburgh, Wight, and Drury, along the-peninsula and as far as Assam,
the seeds prized “ for necklaces and other ornaments.” Farther East, by Mason v.' 522 “ e xo tic ”
in Burmah and called “ rwm-gnay ” or “ khyen-rwEE,” its seeds used by jewellers as weights ; by
Blanco, universally known to the natives throughout the Philippines and called in Tagalo “ bangati”
or “ sa g a ” or “ sagamamin,” in Pampango “ cansasaga,” in YlocanO “ bugayon,” in Bisaya “ gicos-
gicos ” or “ caloo” or “ mangadolong ” or “ aroyangyang,” the leaves and roots having the taste of
liquorice : by myself, on the Feejeean Islands, where oracles and other objects sacred with the natives
are coated with its seeds, indigenous also throughout the Tongan, Samoan, and Taheitian Islands,
but not seen on mid-ocean coral-isles, nor on the unwooded shores of the Hawaiian Islands and
Peru. Westward from Hindustan, was observed by myself on Zanzibar ; by Grant, at “ Ukuni 4° S .,”
and “ plentiful in U gand a” on the Upper Nile; by Forskal p. 138 among the mountains of Yemen,
called “ byllia,” and pods sold at Cairo; by Alpinus, and Hasselquist, under cultivation in Egypt
and the seeds eaten (Lindl.) ; by Cadamosto in 1454 at the mouth of the river Senegal. Farther
West, is called in Guayana “ panacoco,” by the Caribs “ aouarou ” (Desc.), having reached America
before the arrival of Columbus; was observed in the West Indies by Sloane i. p. 181, and P.
Browne.
“ 286 B. C .” (Plut., and Clint.), Pyrrhus, after holding Macedonia seven months, driven out by
Lysimachus.
Berosus, who was “ born in the reign of Alexan de r” (Sm. b. d.), may have been writing
as early as this date, — though his history of Babylonia was completed somewhat later.
Colocasia antiquorum of Tropical America. The cocco or taro is called by Polynesians “ taro”
or “ ta lo ” or “ ta o ” (Hale), in Burmah “ peing ” (Mason), in Sanscrit “ kuchoo” (Roxb., the
Carib name of Dioscorea alata), in Bengalee “ kuchoo,” in Telinga “ chama,” in Tamil “ shema
kilangu” (Drur.), in tlie environs of Bombay “ a lo o ” (Graham), among the mountains of Yemen
“ kerir ” or “ kurr,” in Egypt “ ku lk a s ” (Forsk.), in Equatorial Africa “ myoog’wah ” (Grant); and
the FOFFAC root, growing according to Berosus in marshes along the Euphrates, esculent and
equal to barley bread, — may be compared (the name seemingly derived from introduction by way
* Phaseolus mungo of Tropical Hindustan, Annual with a flexuous stem (Pers.), and called
in Bengalee “ mash-kulay,” in Hindustanee “ moong thikeree,” in Telinga “ minoomooloo,” in Tamil
“ oalandoo ” (Drur.), in the environs of Bombay “ ooreed ” ' (Graham) ; and as early probably as this
date, its seeds used as weights by the Hindu goldsmiths — (Burnouf soc. beng.) : the “ mudja ” is
mentioned in the Institutes of Manu ix. 39, and Vislinu purana i. 6; and the “ munjam” seen
in Hindustan is described by Ebn Batuta as a species of “ mash : ” P. mungo was observed by
Graham 248 “ a cultivated pulse in the environs of Bombay; by Roxburgh iii. 296, Wight i. 246,
and Drury, from Malabar to Travancore and the Circars, “ the most esteemed of all th e ” kinds of
pulse, and “ bread for many of their religious ceremonies ” made of it by the natives ; the root according
to Royle him. contains a narcotic principle. (.See P. max).
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