THE SACRED /BIS. 



323 



their temples they set it up as a divinity, and allowed it to multiply 

 in their cities to such an extent that, if we can believe Herodotus and 

 Strabo, it actually impeded the traffic. Whoever killed an Ibis, even by 

 accident, at once became the victim of a mad crowd, who stoned him 

 pitilessly ; while the dead bird was embalmed with the greatest care, 

 and then placed in earthen pots hermetically sealed, which were 

 ranged in special catacombs. A large number of mummies of the Ibis 

 have been found in the necro- 

 poles of Thebes and Memphis, 

 and several specimens of them 

 are to be seen in the Museum 

 of Natural History at Paris. 



The Egyptian worship of 

 the Ibis is a certain and incon- 

 testable fact. Less certain, 

 however, is the origin of 

 these honours. Herodotus 

 has given an explanation, ob- 

 scure enough, it is true, but 

 which, however, was adopted 

 by his successors, and for a 

 long time accepted by our 



savants. 



" The Arabians assure us," 

 says Herodotus, " that the 

 great veneration which the 

 Egyptians render to the ibis Fig. 126. -Sacred ibis, 



is caused by the gratitude 



which they feel towards the bird for ridding the country of winged 

 serpents." 



According to tradition, these " winged serpents " came into Egypt 

 from Arabia at the commencement of spring. They always followed 

 the same route, and invariably passed through a certain defile, where 

 the Ibis intercepted their passage and devoured them. Herodotus 

 adds that, having gone to Arabia to obtain some certain information 

 about these "winged serpents/' he saw, lying on the ground near the 

 city of Buto, " an immense quantity of bones and vertebrae unmis- 

 takably those of the winged plagues." 



Since the time of Herodotus, a great many authors, probably on 

 his authority, have reproduced this fable, and enriched it with varia- 

 tions more or less fanciful. Cicero, Pomponius Mela, Solinus, 

 Ammianus, and /Elian have alike done so, According to the last 



