PREHISTORIC ART. 555 



the horn or to forni a cjip-shaped mouthpiece, as has been done so fre- 

 quently with siiiiihir instruments, both ancient and modern. Of this 

 instrument Dr. Adler says (p. 449): 



luform it differs in uowiso from the shofar. It is an ancient outdoor wind instru- 

 ment commonly known as the Indian horn, and was the favorite instrument of the 

 Hindu god 8iva. * ^ The metallic descendant from the Indian buifalo horn, 



the shrinya, is the rana-shringa, an outdoor instrument made of copper, formerly 

 used in military, and now universally in religious processions throughout India, 

 both liy Hindus ami Mohammedans, the performers usually being Hindus of the 

 lower caste. In the villages of southern and central India the watchmen blow it at 

 sunset and at certain hours of the night, like the German naditicachter. In large 

 cities a hornblower is always attached to the police. There is seldom a guard or 

 detachment of native irregular troops without one. It is employed in all proces- 

 sions, temple services, marriages, and other festive occasions, and at funerals. [8ee 

 Capt. Meadows Taylor, Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., IX, plate i, p. 110.] Another trumpet 

 of the same class is the kurna, used chiefly in religious processions, or in festivals 

 in honor of local divinities. Only Brahmins and persons of a certain rank are per- 

 mitted to use the kurna. It is esteemed bj- all Brahmins to be the most ancient instru- 

 ment of music in existence, and the sound of it to be esiiecially pleasing to the gods 

 in various particular ceremonies and at solemn parts of the sacrifice. 



This particular specimen is black in color, 12^ inches in length, and 

 2^ inches in its greatest diameter. 



The conch shells of India, like those of some other countries, have 

 the apex ground or cut off until a hole is opened, sometimes directly, 

 sometimes laterally, which forms a mouthpiece. The natural cavity of 

 the shell forms the bore. Specimen, Cat. No. 92711 (U.S.N.M.) is a 

 horn called Shanka, made from a shell of the Turbenella pyrum which 

 has been treated in the same manner. Its length is 6 inches, diameter 

 33 inches. Specimen, Cat. No. 92712 (U.S.N.M.) is a horn named 

 Gomukha, and made from a cassis or helmet shell. Its length is 10 

 inches, diameter 8J inches. Specimen, Cat. No. 92713 (U.S.N.M.), a 

 shell (Pterocera), has been treated in the same manner and made into 

 a horn called Barataka. Length 11^ inches, width 4^ inches. 



Tibet. 



The musical instruments of the Tibetans, while not prehistoric, are 

 quite primitive. They are described by Mr. Eockhill, in his "Journey 

 through Mongolia and Tibet,'" published by the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, as drums (yang ko ku), gongs, cymbals, and tambourines (t'ai-p'ing 

 ku), and figured in his "Notes on the Ethnology of Tibet,-" wherein he 

 describes them more at length. Those employed in religious observ- 

 ances or in church ceremonies are the small hand drum (damaru), fre- 

 quently made of children's skulls and covered with snake skin, and the 

 bell (drilbu). On his plate 40, figs. 1 and 2 are damarus, of which fig. 

 2 is made of two skulls attached by a wooden disk. Heads of devils 

 and skulls are j)ainted on them in red and blue colors. A small cotton 



1 Pages 56, 57, 59, and 336. 



2 Report U. S. Nat. Mus., 1893, pp. 715-739, plates 21, 10, 11. 



