200 N. ANNANDALE: 



above and fastened to the lower half of an S-shaped piece of iron wire, the upper 

 part of which can be attached to the loops of string or metal suspending from the 

 beam. 



The old Taungthu woman who used this beam for weighing out garlic (Plate 

 XLV, fig. 2), though aware that the unoccupied holes in the thin end of the beam 

 might be utilized for additional loops, did not know to what weights they would 

 correspond. She said that the outermost loop she used corresponded to a weight of 

 15 tikals, the innermost to one of 1 viss, the intermediate loops representing 20, 25 

 and 50 tikals. 



I saw this kind of beam used only by Taungthu women. It was much scarcer 

 in the markets than any other. 



No. 11119. Large Beam with Moveable Scale-pan (PI. XLII, fig- 5; 



pi. XLV, fig. 3). 



Burmese (Intha) name. — Peikngadaung. 



Locality. — Fort Stedman. 



The beam is of the same type as the last but larger, of better construction, of 

 almost cylindrical form throughout its length and with only three loops for suspending 

 the scale-pan. The wood is not turned, though smoothened and polished. 



The length of the beam is i'iy m. and the greatest diameter (at the end furthest 

 from the scale-pan) 37 cm. ; at the narrower end it is 2*8 cm. The indicator, which 

 resembles that of No. 11112, is much nearer the latter end than the former, weight 

 being given to the thicker part of the beam by its great length rather than by much 

 greater thickness. The forked suspender is not elaborately ornamented as in No. 

 in 12 and is fastened to the indicator by a wooden peg. The scale-pan, which is of 

 the same substance and practically the same pattern as that of the other specimen but 

 of rather finer workmanship, is about 48 cm. in diameter. Its three cords, knotted 

 together above as usual, have no metal loop but are merely twisted through the 

 hanging loops on the beam when in use. The cords are about 51 cm. long. 



The three hanging loops do not seem to represent any very definite weights but 

 rather certain amounts of betel leaves, in weighing which in bulk this form of beam is 

 mainly, if not exclusively, used. 



The "Burner" in Russia. By De. G. H. Meeewarth. 



The Scandinavian weighing-beam in early times found its way into the Slavonic 

 countries. Even the name has been preserved, for the Russian " bezmen" corresponds 

 to " bismer." Weighing-beams are now prohibited by law in Russia and their use is 

 limited to out-of-the-way places where the police regulations are not so strictly en- 

 forced. The enormous distances from a centre where legally permitted scales and 

 proper weights can be bought make the weighing-beam a necessity for remoter parts 

 of the country. 



