Flora and Fauna
 

Thursday 10 Dec[ember] 1829
{270} Notwithstanding what Jackson writes p 123, the sparrow is common I think in the Empire & we find it in numbers at this city. Also the little bird called tibib comes fearlessly into my room, chirping & flying about me.  Return to main text

 

Sunday 20 December 1829 {317}A bunch of herbs were brought to me this evening from Ben Dris by Seedy Mo[hame]d ben Abdelmalek - a Moorish compliment perhaps the delicacy or intent of which is yet unexplained to me:

Louisa Spanish & Arabic: Verbuena - vulgarly in England, Lemon Plant

Nana etronge, Arabic Torongel Spanish(30)

Another of which I could not learn the name, but all three are used by the Moors for infusion in tea.

Shibt el Agoos, Arabic literally Grey hair (of) the old man(31) - Barbas de Viejo Spanish a plant much used in medicine by the Spanish physicians together with bark and deemed a good stomachic.

Birds and medecines
 Thursday 31th Dec: 1829
{349} The Ormas catta of which Mr Smith has I think preserved the feathers from a specimen sent with other birds by the Sultan to the Messrs Schousboe has been published by Polydore Roux as an inhabitant of La Provence. 

Another species of Ormas [???] apparently in Frederick Schousboe's opinion new to European zoologists, is about ye size of a pigeon. I ate of one at Maroco & of another at Annzah, that was killed by one of our soldiers at ye foot of the Messemah [??] mountains of the Atlas chain. I saw several in the plain of Marocco, & afterwards in the hills, & after our return from Atlas in the lower ranges of the hills on the northern and north western side of the plain of Marocco. See the work of Latham for a notice of the ounas [??] tribe. This bird is called coodry by the Moors. 

Feuilleea is the Arabic name for a root used for horses wounds. It is first peeled & then boiled for a short time when a cataplasm is made in the form of a paste & applied when warm to the part.  Back to main text

Birds in Marrakesh
Back cover: notes written in pencil return 
asarka - white headed duck is the same[?] as the bird which we saw in Mehedea 

Ardak garzetta - there were two species at the Ras el Daura. One has the beak yellow & legs dark & this species is smaller than the other which has greater height. . . [illegible], black legs, blacker beak 


 

30. i.e. toronjil: balm.

31. Agooz = old man. Is this old man's beard?