52 BULLETIN 141, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



border. These tubes are punched up in the bottom, and at the apex 

 of the cone so formed is affixed a slender glass tube, around which 

 the wick is wound. Water and oil are poured in to the proper 

 height. Plate 44a, Figure 2, shows the lamp open; Figure 1 shows 

 the lamp closed and the function of the chains for suspension. (Cat. 

 No. 325644, Syria; Walter Hough; 7.7 inches (19.5 cm.) in diameter.) 

 Another fine specimen from Damascus is of fretted wood inlaid with 

 pearl shell and bone. From the upper collar hang six lamp tubes 

 and from the bottom seven tubes. One of the sections opens as a 

 door, through which the tubes are inserted. (PI. 446, fig. 2, Cat. No. 

 175471; Syria; A. R. Souhami; 13.4 inches (34 cm.) in diameter, 22.9 

 inches (58 cm.) high.) A beautiful specimen in pierced brass over- 

 laid with silver medallions is in the shape of a flattened vase and is 

 suspended by three chains, the hook for hanging projecting from the 

 center of a Turkish silver coin. The float installation is a glass bowl 

 fitting in the opening of the vase, much of the light thus passing 

 through the transparent glass and out through the perforations. 

 (PI. 46, fig. 2, Cat. No. 175590; Persia; Miss A. A. Azeez; 6 inches 

 (15 cm.) in diameter, 3.7 inches (9.5 cm.) high.) From Burgos, 

 Spain, the writer in 1892 procured an altar lamp of brass which is 

 simple and well designed and may stand as the type of ecclesiastical 

 float lamps. The church use of the float lamp is quite ancient. The 

 Ner tairdd^ or perpetual light, Dr. I. M. Casanowicz informs me, 

 was a lamp of this kind used in the Temple at Jerusalem. (PI. 446, 

 fig. 1, Cat. No. 167080; Burgos, Spain; Walter Hough; 29.1 inches 

 (74 cm.) long.) The secular use of the float lamp was widespread 

 and still is very common in some countries. The immediate basis 

 for this use was the need for a dim, non-irritating light in a sick 

 room or as a guide light at night. " Night lights," as they are com- 

 monly called, consist of a disk of light wood, cork, or paper, in the 

 center of which a short bit of taper is fixed. This is allowed to 

 float alone on the oil or buoyed on a triangular or cross-shape piece 

 of metal, the points of which are tipped with cork. Nuremburg, 

 Germany, was a center Avhere enormous quantities of night lights 

 were manufactured and were distributed over the world from that 

 city. At present Paris is the citj^ where night lights with modern 

 improA^ements are made and sold. Several specimens of night lights 

 are shown on Plate 47. In Spain in 1892 several varieties of night 

 lights were on sale. One of Parisian manufacture is called veilleuses 

 plongeantes. The float is of cork, with circular hole cut out in the 

 middle overlaid with tin having a cross-shape depression in which 

 " holy crosses " are placed. (Fig. 1.) Another kind, called veilleuses 

 unalterahles^ has a hollow-glass float in which a short length of taper 

 is thrust. (Fig. 5.) These specimens (Cat. Nos. 167056 and 167057) 

 were bought in Madrid. In Spain these lights are called " mari- 



