i88 FLORA OF THE 



It is not improbable that in those days each trade 

 and profession, and each city, was under the protection 

 of some particular god. A similar custom prevails now 

 in many Christian countries. Each city, profession, or 

 trade, has some patron saint, and this custom may be 

 a survival of the more ancient Assyrian custom. 



Besides the classification of these cylinders into those 

 zvith inscriptions and those zvitJiout, their components 

 seem to be classifiable in other ways, according to the 

 nature of the elements that enter into their compo- 

 sition, viz. : — {a) Figures telling some sort of household 

 legend, as the same figures appear on several cylinders ; 

 {b) a central tree, around which the figures are grouped, 

 and which we may call a sacred tree ; {c) trees intro- 

 duced as accessory ornaments of the seal, such as 

 date trees placed outside the main group, and others ; 

 {d) the sun, moon, and stars ; {e) symbols, such as 

 different forms of ' fleur-de-lys,' open hands, serpents, etc.; 

 (/) other accessory figures, introduced, apparently, with 

 no other object than that of filling vacant spaces, and ot 

 making that particular seal distinginsJiable from all others. 

 These accessory figures are sometimes symbolical, but 

 often of a humorous character, like those of Mr. Harry 

 Furniss ; such as a monkey playing the flute, a boy 

 cutting somersaults, two boys going through gymnastic 

 exercises, a goat nibbling at a tree, two kids playing 

 on their mother's back, and many others. 



