THE GLIDDON MUMMY-CASE. 3 



The ohlique-handled staff figured, continues in use to the present clay ; and one 

 picked up by myself on the pilgrim trail in passing Suez, was recognized at Mocha 

 as of the pattern belonging exclusively to Western Arabia. 



The small bird, from the form and plumage, is distinctly the house-sparrow, 

 Fringilla domestica : its thick biU continues on the Abusir tomb, but subsequent 

 representations are no longer recognizable. In conformity also, the Coptic vocabu- 

 lary gives "jaj" sparrow, "jaje" enemy; a meaning implied by the sparrow seeking 

 the owl's protection and finding oppression (Horap. ii, 48), also by the depredations 

 of the sparrow on grain-crops. 



The owl, from the form and plumage, is distinctly the ham oicl, Strix flammea: 

 the outline on the Abusir tomb corresponds, but representations throughout subse- 

 quent hieroglyphic writing are no longer recognizable. 



From the color of the bill and feet, the cJiich is clearly the young of the red- 

 legged partridge, Perdix Grseca : a fact that in the absence of the Gliddon mummy- 

 case, might not have been ascertained.^ 



The asp or cobj-a is shown by the coloring to be the indigenous Egj'ptian species, 

 C. haje ; and the fiUet around the body seems to imply the art of serpent-cliaj-ming. 

 According to HorapoUo, i, 59, the bee signifies a people obedient to their king; 

 but the Coptic vocabulary gives " ga" people or nation, " ga" imder, " egrei" 

 beneath, " agori" asp or basilisk. The connection in Hindustan of the cobra with 

 mythology, seems therefore a later idea, borrowed from the West. 



In the absence from the mummy-case of all emblems of idolatry, the solitary eye 

 is not human, but the all-seeing eye : the Coptic vocabulary gives " ai" to he, to exist. 



The pitcher or sjJoncUst, for pouring out libations, is also figured ; and the 

 ointment-vase. 



The Jiouse clearly belongs to the origin of writing : and the seat of this invention 

 is shown by the flat roof to be in a rainless climate not north of Egypt: the 

 addition of an arched window implies building material either of mud hardening 

 in the sun, or regularly-formed mud-bricks. An arch at this early date conflicts 

 with much that has been said in print ; and the dwelling is in every way superior 

 to those of Modern Egypt, observed by myself to be mere conical mud huts Avithout 

 any window. 



The arclied loindoio occurs besides detached in the hieroglyphic writing, and is 

 a frequent character subsequently, known to signify the feminine : in the mind of 

 soldiers away from home, a cottage-window might bring up the image of some one 

 behind ; and the Coptic vocabulary gives " thime" village, " thime" Avoman, wife. 

 Beyond Egypt and hieroglyphic writing, the arched window turned on end became 

 an early, if not the earliest form of the Greek thelta or th soft ; westward denotes 

 in Latin a cognate sound ; and to the present day is retained in most European 

 languages as the capital letter D. 



The Egyptians themselves, as flgured on the mummy-case, though the yellow 



' As late as king Snophru, hierogh'phic writing presents a distinct figure of the e.acjle (Leps. Denk. 

 ii, pi. 2) : subsequent representations are no longer recognizable. 



