. . . ARAB. Dab, PoL.
Eeg, DAN. Carvalho, . . . PORT.
Eik, DuT. Roble, Carbalho, PORT., SP.
Chene, . . . FR. Dubb, ` Bus.
Eiehe, . . . . GER. Ek, Sw.
Drus, Balania, . GR. Meyshe, . . . TERE. Quercia, Quercus, IT., LAT.
The genus Quereus of plants embraces about 150 species, many of them tropical plants, not only abounding at low elevations in the mountains, but descending in abundance to the level of the sea. Though not known in Ceylon, the Peninsula of India, tropical Africa, or South America, they abound in the hot valleys of the Eastern Hima laya, East Bengal, Malay Peninsula, and Indian islands, where perhaps more species grow than in any other part of the world. .
In the tract of country from Asia Minor along the north of Persia to China and Japan, also in the Tenasserim provinces, several oaks occur, but in the presence of other valuable timber trees their woods do not attract the same attention as that of English oak. An oak is mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it is not identical with the British oak, being either the holm oak or ever green oak (Quercus ilex), or a species nearly resembling it.. Near Shechem, also, there stood a tree of the same genus, which probably was remarkable for its size, being called in Genesis xxxv. 4, `the oak which was by Shechem.' In the war of 1812 to 1814, the people of Spain and the French both frequently fed on the acorns in the woods of Portugal and Spain. In Morocco and Algiers, the acorns of Quercus ballots aro sold in the public markets; and the acorns, balut,' of some of the oaks are met with in all the Indian bazars. Gamble names 39 species. See Querens. %Rich found Q. fenestrata, turbinata, velutina, Amhei'stiana, Tirbba, growing in Burma and on the Tenasserim coast, all affording useful timber, though inferior to the English oak. No oaks nor
chesnut ascend above 9000 feet in the interior of Sikkim, where they are replaced by a species of hazel (Corylus) ; in the North Himalaya, on the other hand, an oak (Q. semecarpifolia) is amongst the most alpine trees, and the nut is a different species, more resembling the European. On the outer Sikkim ranges, oaks (Q. annulata) ascend to 10,000 feet, and there is no hazel.
There are three species of oak in the Sutlej valley,—Quercus incana, ' ban ; ' common hoary oak, Q. semecarpifolia, karsu ; ' Q. dilatata, morhu,' which are next in importance to the pines. Vast forests of them occur in various places, as on the cast side of Hattu, on the upper track between Muttiana, and Nagkanda, in Mandi, Sukhet, etc. The trees are of great size, 80 to 100 feet in height ; they prefer dry situations, and are not generally convenient to the river. The logs do not float the first and second years, being in this respect like the of Malabar. Oak wood has been well reported of by General Cautloy at Murree. Oak bark, in Europe, is largely used as a tanning material, and the Quercus suber of Spain furnishes the cork of commerce. It might be introduced into India. The Australian forest oak, she oak, and swamp oak are species of Casua rina. In N. America, the red oak, Q. ruber, and Q. aqnatica, occur. Oak galls are produced on differ ent species of oak by the female • of the Cynips or Diplolepis piercing the buds, leaves, and twigs, and depositing its eggs. They are produced on the Quercus infectoria, Q. ballots, Q. incana, and others.—St. John's Forest Trees; Mason; Wight; Hooker ; Low.