ASSYRIAN MONUMENTS. 21 



is required for most varieties. I could never get the 

 red plantain of Bombay to fruit in Lucknow, although 

 there are a few hardy varieties that will fruit there. 

 It is injured by a cold temperature in winter, and also 

 by a hot dry wind in summer ; and probably in the 

 Assyrian regions they had both. 



It may have been possible for traders in those days 

 to have carried banana fruit to Babylon, but it may 

 not have been possible to carry it further, as it decays 

 after a time. 



So upon the whole it would not appear improbable 

 that the objects indicated in fig. 9 were meant by the 

 Assyrian sculptors for clusters of bananas. What else 

 they could have been meant for is not clear. 



What I have stated is from the natural history 

 point of view, to show that the probability is that the 

 banana fruit was brought to Babylon by seamen coming 

 from tropical coasts. 



I shall endeavour to show now that the study of 

 the sculptures, from the artistic point of view, gives 

 support to the notion that the objects on the monu- 

 ments were intended for clusters of bananas. 



Turning to M. Botta's ' Monuments de Ninive,' we 

 find that on plates 63, 64, and 65 of Tome I ; and on 

 plates 113 and 146, Tome II, there are objects on 

 trays and tables which resemble clusters of bananas. 

 Then in British Museum basement (No. 121) there is 



