Occasionally confounded with this peepul is the banyan (Ficus indica), which is another sacred tree of the Indians.

The third thing noteworthy in the crowd which cooked, chatted, lounged, sauntered idly to and fro under the Matapalosthe pillared air-roots of which must have put them in mind of their own Banyans at homewas their good manners.

[U.S.]; arboretum &c 371. bush, jungle, prairie; heath, heather; fern, bracken; furze, gorse, whin; grass, turf; pasture, pasturage; turbary^; sedge, rush, weed; fungus, mushroom, toadstool; lichen, moss, conferva^, mold; growth; alfalfa, alfilaria^, banyan; blow, blowth^; floret^, petiole; pin grass, timothy, yam, yew, zinnia.

The bread-fruit tree itself, the fig, the Indian fig, or banyan tree, and the deadly upas tree, are all relations of the mulberry.

[Illustration: THE BANYAN TREE.]

"Not in the way of refreshments, just at present," continued their governess, "but only as belonging to the mulberry family; and we will begin with that curious tree the banyan, or Indian fig.

He plants it near the temple of his idol; and if the village in which he resides does not possess any such edifice, he uses the banyan for a temple and places the idol beneath it.

"The peculiar growth of the banyan," continued Miss Harson, "renders it an object of beauty and produces those column-like stems that cause it to become a grove in itself.

They are not considered eatable by the natives, but birds and animals feed upon them, and in the leafy bower of the banyan are found the peacock, the monkey and the squirrel.

"The leaves of the banyan tree are large and soft and of a very bright green, and the deep shade and pillared walks are so welcome to the Hindu that he even tries to improve on Nature and coax the shoots to grow just where he wishes them.

The sacred fig tree of IndiaFicus religiosais a near relative of the banyan, and very much like it in general appearance; but the leaves are on such slender stalks that they tremble like those of the aspen.

Thus a number of young trees are often seen clustering around the trunk of an old one.'" "Why, that's like the banyan tree," said Malcolm.

"Only there is a difference in the manner of growth, for the branches of the banyan are some distance from the ground and send forth rootlets without touching it.

In every direction are villages, I might almost say without number, rendered most beautiful by their plentiful supply of large banyans and various other trees of luxuriant foliage.

From our house we can count a number of villages on the mainland, beautifully situated among large banyans.

Once upon a time there was a Raja, who had many water reservoirs and tanks, and round the edges he planted trees, mangoes, pipals, palms and banyans; and the banyan trees were bigger than any.

On the river bank grows a large banyan tree.

This village has no headman or paranic; any headman who is appointed invariably dies; so they have made a bonga who lives in the banyan tree their headman.

When any matter has to be decided, the villagers all meet at the banyan tree, where they have made their manjhi than; they take out a stool to the tree and invite the invisible headman to sit on it.

If any of them has a wedding or a number of visitors at his house, and has not enough plates and dishes, he goes to the banyan tree and asks the headman to lend him some.

In the banyan-tree field in his abode!

The woman looked about and saw near by a fan palm tree and she sang "The peepul's leaves go flicker, flicker: The banyan's leaves are thick and fleshy: Of the fan palm's leaf, brother, make a cup.

Farther on, great banyans, of the kind whose seeds do not change into fruits, completed the outline of this vast landscape.

Above this collection of buildings rose some enormous banyans, whose branches swayed with graceful movements.

I can see A shamiana loftily upreared Beneath a banyan (or banana) tree, Whichever it may be, Where, with bright turban and vermilion beard (A not unfrequent sight, and very weird), You sit at peace; a small boy, doubly bowed, Acts as your footstool and, though stiff, is proud.