62 Shells as evidence of the Migrations. 
Maya or Aztec artist could have invented such striking 
identities, without any knowledge of the fantastic designs 
invented in India. 
In the Introduction Dr. Elliot Smith has explained 
how ideas of fertility, the giving of life and resurrection 
grew up in association with the cowrie, This chapter has 
revealed how all of these attributes have been transferred 
to the shell-trumpet not only in Asia, but also in America. 
In the latter country such conceptions would be utterly 
meaningless unless it be admitted that they were intro- 
duced from the Old World. 
In Japan we find similar evidence of the transmission 
of the same Indian ideas, but here owing to the proximity 
of their source the confusion of the elements is not so 
pronounced. In a picture (/%g. 3, plate facing) given by 
Picart (of. cz/., vol. iv., pt. i!., 1735, pl. 138), which repre- 
sents a groupin the Temple of Osacca, we see expressed 
the identical conception of the fish incarnation of Vishnu. 
Picart describes this group as follows: “Canon,” called 
by some Travellers, the Son of Amidas, presides over the 
Waters, and the Fish. Je is the Creator of the Sun and 
the Moon. This Idol, according to the Representation of 
him,™ has four arms, like his Father, is swallowed up by a — 
Fish, as far as his Middle, and is crowned with Flowers. 
He has a Sceptre in one Hand, a Flower in another, and 
a Ring in the third; the fourth is closed, and the Arm 
extended. Over against him, there is a Figure of an 
humble Devotee, one half of whose Body lies concealed 
within a Shell. There are four other Figures at a little 
Distance on an Altar, each of them with their Hands 
closed like humble Suppliants, from whence, as from so 
many Fountains, flow Streams of Water.” 
18t 7, J. Rein (** Japan,” 1884, p. 458) refers to this well-known and 
popular deity as Kuwanon (pronounced Kannon) the goddess of mercy. 
112 Picart bases his account on the ** Embassies of the Dutch to Japan.” 
