1/2 FLORA OF THE 



the middle prong straight, and, in my humble opinion, 

 there cannot be much doubt of their descent from the 

 tree and horns. 



This spirited chase of a devil quite reminds one of 

 something similar in the pictures of mediaeval times, 

 viz. a saint chasing a devil and holding a cross in his 

 hand. 



Mr. William Simpson has pointed out the resemblance 

 of the 'trisulah' of the Hindoos to the thunderbolt on 

 the coins of Elide of the 5th century B.C., with reference 

 to which Count d'Alviella says (p. 322) : " II n'y aurait 

 en somme, rien de surprenant dans ces similitudes, 

 puisque le foudre et le tricula sont tous deux, comme 

 nous venons de le voir, un development du trident;" and 

 perhaps he might have added, that 

 the trident is a degradation of the 

 tree mid horns. 



The fantastic fig. 90 shows us 

 to what lengths the tree and horns 

 have been modified by the imagi- 

 nation of the Hindoo artists to 



evolve this ' trisulah.' p^^ 50. -The Trisula, from 



, , f. . . , Dr. Birdwood's 'Industrial 



Ihe symbol ot the trident must Arts of India,' p. 98, vol. i. 

 have been considered of such significance that in pi. iv, 

 fig. e, of the ' Migration of Symbols,' it actually re- 

 places the winged disc, which is supposed to represent 

 the Deity. There are two tridents, like a brace of 



