Dr. Nornpen’s Account of the Banyan-Tree. 127
“Shelters* in cool, and tends his pasturing herds,
- At loop-holes, cut through thickest shade. Those leaves
“* They gather’d, broad as Amazonian + targe.”
Pliny was familiar with the writings of Theophrastus, for he repeatedly refers to him in his work, and it is evident that he almost transcribed the passage, concerning the Banyan-tree, from that author. But he has not done it with that accuracy, which ought to be expected, on such a subject. He omits, or alters, some essential points. In speaking of the lower branches striking into the ground, he does not notice the roots that issue from those branches, which are the means of bringing the latter in contact with the earth; yet this is a peculiarity most remarkable. From Pliny’s account it would appear, as if the branches merely had a tendency to be bent downwards, and thus reached the ground, where they afterwards took root: but this is quite a false representation. He is equally incorrect, when he assigns the measure of sixty paces to the circumference of the upper branches, which Theophrastus gives as the dimension of the stems of the different young trees, produced round the parent stock. He ex- presses himself indistinctly respecting the shade, which proceeds from the tree. Like Theophrastus, he says, that it extends over two stadia, or about twelve hundred feet; but he so places this in the context, that it seems to be the shade of the upper branches of which he is speaking, in- stead of that of the whole tree, which Theophrastus clearly designs. The leaves Pliny characterizes by their breadth, which, he says, gives the idea of an Amazonian shield, or pelta: the comparison should be as to the size of the leaf generally, in which acceptation Theophrastus likens it to the same shield. The reason which Pliny alleges for the smallness of the fruit, is not such as an intelligent naturalist ought to have given: he says, it is owing to the large leaf, by which the fruit is covered, and its growth im- peded. This must mean, that the fruit, being excluded from the influence of the sun, by the intervention of the leaf, is stunted: yet he presently talks of the effect of the sun upon that very fruit, in maturing and sweetening it.
- Intra sepem eam estivant pastores, opacam pariter et munitam vallo arboris.
+ Foliorum latitudo pelte effiziem Amazonice habet.
