BAEHR

baehr, johann christian felix (1798-1872), german philologist, was born at darmstadt on the 13th of june 1798. he studied at the university of heidelberg where he was appointed professor of classical philology in 1823, chief librarian in 1832, and on the retirement of g. f. creuzer became director of the philological seminary. he died at heidelberg on the 29th of november 1872. his earliest works were editions of plutarch's _alcibiades_ (1822), _philopoemen, flamininus, pyrrhus_ (1826), the fragments of ctesias (1824), and herodotus (1830-1835, 1855-1862). but most important of all were his works on roman literature and humanistic studies in the middle ages: _geschichte der roemischen litteratur_ (4th ed., 1868-1870), and the supplementary volumes, _die christlichen dichter und geschichtschreiber roms_ (2nd ed., 1872), _die christlich-roemische theologie_ (1837), _geschichte der roemischen litteratur im karolingischen zeitalter_ (1840). bael fruit (_aegle marmelos_). _aegle_ is a genus of the botanical natural order rutaceae, containing two species in tropical asia and one in west tropical africa. the plants are trees bearing strong spines, with alternate, compound leaves each with three leaflets and panicles of sweet-scented white flowers. _aegle marmelos_, the bael- or bel-fruit tree (also known as bengal quince), is found wild or cultivated throughout india. the tree is valued for its fruit, which is oblong to pyriform in shape, 2-5 in. in diameter, and has a grey or yellow rind and a sweet, thick orange-coloured pulp. the unripe fruit is cut up in slices, sun-dried and used as an astringent; the ripe fruit is described as sweet, aromatic and cooling. the wood is yellowish-white, and hard but not durable. the name _aegle_ is from one of the hesperides, in reference to the golden fruit; _marmelos_ is portuguese for quince.