28 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



" shin-6u6tshv" response ; "shaimg" bird ; "shv " or "shovg " or "sh8<5v<$ " (1 leaf. — The charac- 

 ter occurs under the Third dynasty ( Leps. d. ii. pi. 5). The lower portion II detached and more 

 resembling a leaf, occurs in the same hieroglyphic inscription under the Third (J dynasty. 



The wood-pigeon, Columba oenas, though well known throughout Europe, has not perhaps been 

 observed in Egypt. — The " phassa " of Homer il. xv. 23S, and Aristophanes av. 303, is referred here 

 by some writers; as also the "palumbes " of Cato, Nigidius, and Virgil, described by Pliny viii. 41 

 and x. 35 as healing themselves with laurel leaves (see above), as departing from Italy in the winter 

 season, whither they go, being unknown, and as breeding only twice a year. 



Laurus uobilis of the Northern shores of the Mediterranean. Called in Britain bay or sweet bay, 

 but by Chaucer 'Taurer," in France "laurier" (Prior pop. names), in Germany " lorbeer,'' in Italy 

 "alloro" or "lauro" (Lenz), in Creece "thaphne" (Sibth), in which we recognize the leaf in ques- 

 tion, laurel leaves having been imported into Egypt possibly as early as this date : — leaves and 

 branches of -'thaphne" were carried in the coronation-procession of Ptolemy II. (Callixen., and 

 Athen.); laurel leaves are enumerated by Alpinus as used medicinally in Egypt, and were ascertained 

 by Forskal mat. med. to be imported from Greece. Among the Greeks, the "thaphne" was sacred 

 to Apollo (Plin. xii. 2), is mentioned by Hesiod op. 435, Homer od. i. 183, Ibycus, Theophrastus, and 

 Dioscorides ; and L. nobilis was observed by Forskal, Sibthorp, Bory, and Fraas, from Crete and the 

 Peloponnesus to Constantinople. Westward, the consul Postumius Tubertus in the first triumphal 

 procession at Rome was crowned with 'Taurus " for his bloodless victory over the Sabines, and Pliny 

 xv. 38 and xvii. 1 1 further speaks of the tree as growing in Italy on the mountains and besides culti- 

 vated : L. nobilis is known to grow also in Spain (Pers.), is termed " 1. vulgaris " by Tournefort inst. 

 597 ; is cultivated throughout middle Europe, and its aromatic leaves and berries continue to be 

 employed medicinally (Lindl.). 



(cf\ f% " s h° v sh6ve' " an incurved wooden shaving that inverts upon a bird ; " shi " to take, ob- 

 fc=S^ jM^ tain; " shrompS " or " shrompi " or " shroompfi " or " shrdmpi " pigeon; " shal£ " or 

 " shal " or " shalol " or " shalo " or " shoilS " to commit, place in charge ; " shajfi " ear-ring ; " shreji '' 

 or " shreshS " dowry or nuptial present ; " shaeieu " delivered up; " shaame " or '• shooush " preva- 

 ricator, to prevaricate; " shagtim " or " shfigtim " impurity, unclean; "shi" to marry. — The char- 

 acter occurs as early as the Third dynasty (Lups. d. ii. pi. 3 to 6, Champ, gram. 77 and 381, and Buns, 

 and Birch). 



There seems included allusion to the custom — mentioned in Deut. xxii. 14 to 21. The healing 

 bird among the peasantry of Egypt was ascertained by myself to be the domestic pigeon, Columba 

 vulgaris, adapted to the purpose from its silence under captivity : detested therefore bv the Jews, 

 and held sacred to Venus by the Greeks. Apart from hieroglyphic writing, the pigeon is figured at 

 Sakara under the Fifth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 70) ; but elsewhere on the monuments I was unable 

 to find distinct representations. The "\wnfi " was sent out from the ark by Noah (Gen. viii. 8) ; is 

 mentioned also in Levit. v. 7, and Cant. ii. 14 to iv. 1 ; a pigeon from Egypt was connected with the 

 founding of the oracle at Uodona (Herodotus); " peVisteVa " and "peTistereon ' pigeon-houses 

 are mentioned by Aristophanes lys. 755, and Plato theaet. 19S ; and the " columba" by Pliny x. 74 as 

 breeding several times in a year. Eastward, the pigeon is mentioned in the Sama Veda (iransl. 

 Stevenson) ; was observed by myself lingering in numbers about the secluded and long-abandoned 

 cave-temples at Adjunta ; and according to Mason, is well known in Burmah. By European colo- 

 nists, was cairied to Northeast America, where it has become abundant, and if naturalized, keeping 

 notwithstanding in the vicinity of dwellings. 



Qj* ("henalope'ka" Egyptian goose signifying offspring, son, Horap. i. 50) ; "shStshS" goose; 

 "^C " tshmtsbeshe " hissing ; " tshoutshits " hissing (of serpents, Edw ) ; " shjS " or " tshje " 

 grasshopper or locust; " shi-tshipi " or " shi-tshotsh " or " shi-tsh&tsh " confusion, shame, to be dis- 

 graced; "shr&sh" or " shr68sh " fruit, offspring; " shmoh " end, consummation; — in Hebrew 

 "shrk" or " lhsh " to hiss. The character occurs from the Third dynasty to the end of hieroglyphic 

 writing (Leps. d. ii. pi. 6, and k. pi. 5 to 66). That the character represents the "henalopex," appears 

 also from Herodotus ii. 72, and Aristophanes av. 1295. 



The Egyptian goose, Anser chenalopex, is an indigenous species that does not appear to have 

 been domesticated: — apart from the hieroglyphic writing, flocks are captured in nets under the 

 Fourth and Fifth dynasties at Gizeh : and at Benihassan under the Twelfth dynasty, the bird is sepa- 

 rated from the domestic goose. In Middle Egypt, Feb. 2d, the living A. chenalopex was observed 

 by myself in immense flocks on the sand-bars near Gebel Shekh Embarak ; when disturbed, flying 

 away in files or lines, some of them plicated and wedge-like after the manner of our A. Canadensis. 



The articulation z seems wanting in the Egyptian language ; — though in use among the popula- 

 tion of the present day, the domestic goose being called " ouizzah." An ancient form of the Phoeni- 

 cian letter "zyn " 2, clearly taken from a goose's neck, is continued in Etruscan, and Oscan (Gesen. 

 monum. Phcenic.) ; in Greek also, though often reversed, and possibly transferred to sio-ma, a differ- 



