258 



NATURE 



[July 26, 1877 



(Salkouski). — On aromatic substances in tlie animal body, and 

 determination of sulphuric acid in urine (Baumann). — On 

 animal and plant albuminous bodies (Weyl). — On lactosuria 

 (Hofmeister) ; and on the physiology of lactic acid (Spiro). 

 The journal is a decided acquisition to scientific literature. 



We have received the programme of excursions of the 

 Manchester Field Naturalists' and Archaeologists' Society for 

 July to October. The seven excursions arranged (for Saturdays) 

 appear to be of a varied and interesting character. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include an Egyptian Gazelle (Ga^ella i/orcas) from 

 North Africa, presented by Mr. H. B. Benson ; a Malbrouck 

 Monkey {Cercopitlucits cyuosurus) from West Africa, presented 

 by Mrs. Escott ; a Burmeister's Cariama (C/iunga Imrmeisteri), 

 a Brazilian Stilt Plover (I/itiuuitopus brasiliensis) from Buenos 

 Ayres, two Black Swans {Cyt^iius a/ralus) from Australia, two 

 Piping Guans {Pipile cumaitrnsis) from Bahia, an Urumutum 

 Curassow (A^othocrax urumulinn) from Brazil, deposited ; a 

 Wapiti Deer {^Cervus canadensis), an Indian Muntjac (Cervulus 

 muntjac) born in the Gardens. 



ASTRONOMICAL SYMBOLISM OF THE EAST'' 

 'X'HE two stars which in the book of Job are connected 

 -'■ with Orion, and to which the Indian Orion-legend referred, 

 are connected with the two red stars or Rohini of Indian 

 traditions. It is shown that these two fixed stars, observed as 

 contemporaneously rising and setting on the horizon, formed the 

 unchangeable starting points for regulating the lunations, and that 

 they thus brought about in course of time an absolute corre:t 

 chronology. The early discovery of equinoctial precession led 

 to the substitution of these fixed stars by the changeable 

 equinoctial points, till Copernicus, by separating the latter from 

 the solar path, re-est.^blished the correct measurement of time 

 by referring the solar motion to fixed stars. The determining 

 single stars, later, constellations nearest to the equinoctical points, 

 to which former, both Chinese and Persian, traditions refer, 

 became the symbol of the order manifested by tlie heavenly 

 bodies, which cosmical order was attributed to the Deity. The 

 symbol of the two cherubs or kirubs, that is "bulls," in the 

 language of cuneiform inscriptions, are shown to have referred 

 to the rising and setting of the constellation of Taurus, which 

 being called Kirub at its rising, was called Seraph, or Ser-Apis, 

 literally, " the grave ol the bull," at its setting. The Pleiades 

 in the neck ol Taurus s*and in the same relation to this 

 constellation as the god Sebaot, the god of the Sheba-ut, or 

 seven stars, the Sibut of the Babylonians, to the Cherub. The 

 symbol of the chariot of the Cherubim, and ol Jehovah riding on 

 the Cherub, as the Pleiades may be said to be riding on Taurus, 

 are thus astronomically explained, and connected with the 

 representations of Ormuzd riding on the winged bull, as also 

 with similar Mithraic representations. The fortnightly period 

 of the Hebrews, from the new moon to the full moon, in 

 connection with the precessional cycle of seventy-two years, 

 probably known to the Hebrews, is shown to have formed the 

 basis of the Osiris-Typhon legend, which was fully developed 

 before the commencement of Egyptian history. The fourteen 

 divisions of the litanies of Thot, the god riding on the moon, 

 and whose secret number was seventy-two, are explained by 

 reference to fourteen moon-stations of the lunar zodiac, the 

 hidden Mazzaroth or mansions of the moon in the book of Job, 

 and to the precessional cycle of seventy-two years, with which 

 can be connected the solar year and the Phfcnix period of the 

 Egyptians, the Saros of the Babylonians, and the Mosaic period 

 of one day like a thousand years, as well os several other 

 Babylonian periods ; also the number of the sons of Japhet, and 

 the genealogies in Luke from Seth to Joseph, the husband of 

 Mary. When tlie solar zodiac had taken the place of the lunar 

 zodiac, when the two determining fixed stars had been replaced 

 by the changeable equinoctical points, and the commencement 

 of spring and of autumn became the fundamental symbol of all 

 religions, the ideal heroes of light 'were connected with the 

 spring-equinox, at first in Taurus, and the ideal heroes of 



* Abstract of paper read at the Society of Hiblic.1l Archieology, "On 

 Astronomical Symbolism of the East, as transmitted ! by Hebrews and 

 Christians," by M. Ernest de Bunsen. 



darkness with the autumn-equinox, at first in Scorpio, close to 

 which is the constellation of the Serpent. Thus to Ormuzd, 

 Indra, Osiris, Dionysos and ApoUos, were respectively opposed 

 the serpent deities Ahriman, Ahi, Typhon, the Titans and 

 Python. So also the Messiah, "The Sun of Righteousness," 

 and " the day-spring from on high," was opposed by Satan, 

 literally the antagonist, "the old serpent" the devil. The 

 transition from the sacrifice of bulls to the sacrifice of lambs, 

 and the vicarious and sin-removing character of these sacrifices 

 in pre-Abrahamic times, is shown to have been connected with, 

 and probably to have been caused by equinoctial precession, by 

 Aries having taken the place of Taurus. Some of the mysteries 

 of the Great Pyramid are explained by Eastern astronomical 

 symbolism and the two passages pointing north and south are 

 shown probably to have referred to the approximatively contem- 

 poraneous midnightly culminations of Aldebaran and Antares at 

 the autumn equinox, as observable at places in the latitude of 

 the Great Pyramid, and likewise in the latitudes of Bactria and 

 Northern India, during a period of about 150 years, within 

 which the year 3300 B.C. falls. The fact that Chinese, Indians, 

 and Arabians, at a remote period, counted twenty-eight moon 

 stations, but that there is nowhere a trace of twenty-nine 

 mansions of the moon, is submitted as possibly implying a date 

 for the earliest astronomical observations of the East transmitted 

 to us, at a time when the lunar month, now having a duration of 

 about twenty-nine and a half days have only twenty-eight days, 

 or rather, not yet twenty-nine. As the mean motion of the moon 

 is the same in long periods, this period of twenty-nine days 

 would have probably commenced about 600,000 years ago, if 

 the retardation of the earth's rotatory motion, by which alone 

 the prolongation of the lunar month seems to be explainable, 

 really does amount to twenty-two seconds in a century, as now 

 asserted by high authorities. 



THE NORWEGIAN EXPEDITION TO THE 



NORTH SEA 

 ■pROM a letter by Prof. G. O. Sars, in the Chrhtiania 

 Dagbladel, dated Bodb, June 24, we make the following 

 quotations with reference to the progress of the Norwegian 

 expedition which left Bergen on June 1 1 : — 



" On the l6th of June we had arrived sufficiently far northward 

 to commence our labours, and sounding-lines, thermometers, 

 dredges, and trawling-nets were at once called into use. Since 

 then the work has been pursued unremittingly, despite stormy 

 weather, and we have every reason to be satisfied with the results 

 so far. The hitherto-unknown contour of the sea's bottom 

 between Foiden fiord and the Lofoten Islands is now so clearly 

 ascertained by means of our transverse section, that we can map 

 out to the north with a certain degree of precision the curve of 

 the extended barrier, which keeps back the cold water coming 

 from the depths of the Polar Sea. We have found the curve 

 somewhat different from our expectations, especially in the 

 neighbourhood of the Lofoten. The soundings appear to 

 indicate the presence of a remarkable indentation, similar to the 

 one on the southern part of the coast, and we have found a 

 precipitous slope of the sandbank resembling that of the well- 

 known "Storeg" near Aalesund. It is evident that we have 

 encountered here a most important submarine conformation. The 

 consideration of its effect on our sea-fisheries will be delayed until 

 more detailed surveys have been carried out. In the course of our 

 soundings on the way to Bodo, we were able by means of the 

 improved Negretti-Zambra thermometer to establish beyond the 

 range of doubt the presence 01 a layer of warm water below a 

 layer of cold water of considerable depth. 



" Our zoological acquisitions have been highly satisfactory, 

 especially those in the cold zone. We have added several species 

 to the list of the previous expedition ; amongst them some 

 hitherto detected in the Polar Sea only and others entirely new. 



" The voyage will be pursued to Rost, where several days will 

 be spent in magnetic observations, and in gathering zoological 

 specimens. The latter promise to be of value on account of the 

 zoographical interest of the locality, which has as yet been left 

 unvisited. The section from Rost will be followed carefully in 

 order to determine with certainty the expected bend in the sand- 

 bank. The progress of our expedition shows us more and more 

 the fundamental importance of an accurate knowledge of the 

 physical nature of the North Sea, not only for Norway, but also 

 fori the solution of the general questions with regard to the 

 physical and biological conditions of the ocean in general." 



