OP ARTS AND SCIENCES. 343 



Abacus. — In A., the abacus so much attaches itself to the architrave 

 that its size is determined by the width of the latter, and not by the 

 diameter of the top of the capital ; but in B. the architrave and column 

 have established enough of reciprocity to demand of the connecting 

 member the dimensions of both. The abacus is always square. Hence 

 its corners project beyond the upper part of the capital, even when its 

 Bides do not. 



The height of the abacus is less in A. than in B. Measured by the column- 

 height, it is about .019 in A., and from .046 to .094 in B. Measured by its own 

 width, it is .15 in A., .50 in B. 



A condensed recapitulation of the characteristics of groups A. and 

 B. will not be out of place. 



A. Type, a bunch of lotus-stems with buds. Plinth low and coni- 

 cal. Shaft slender, over five diameters, of four round stems, not cut in 

 at base, and without sheaths. Astragal narrow, of five twists. Astra- 

 gal pieces simple, small and round. Capital, of four buds, without 

 sheaths, low, nearly equal in diameter to greatest shaft-diameter. Aba- 

 cus, low and projecting. 



B.* Type, a bundle of papyrus-stems. Plinth variable in height, 

 hemispherical. Shaft stout, not over three and a half or four diame- 

 ters, of eight triangular stems or adopting their general outline, cut in 

 at base, sheathed. Astragal as before, but wider. Astragal pieces 

 compounded of three sections, large, triangular. Capital, a continua- 

 tion of shaft-stems, bulging under superincumbent weight, high and 

 sheathed. Abacus high, projecting only at corners. 



In the foregoing paragraphs I have aimed to give only those features 

 which seem to be constant enough to be called characteristic and nor- 

 mal. A few rare forms now deserve a word or two. 



A curious hybrid of the two species of papyrus columns is found at 

 Dgebel-Addeh (?), according to Rosellini (iii. 3). The drawing is so 

 wretched that no details can be described with certainty. It is enough 

 to say that the capital of the first species is combined with the smooth 

 shaft of the second. 



Not infrequently bands encircle the body of the shaft similar to those 

 which constitute the astragal at its top.f From this circumstance 

 arises the oft-recurring remark that these columns are hooped like a 



* It is to be understood, of course, that this description applies with greater 

 explicitness to the first species of papyrus columns than to the second. 

 t Good examples in the temple of Luxor. De'scription, iii. 7. 



