EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY. 39 
soon as the nilometer indicated a rise in the river, the Ibis was seen busy 
along its shores devouring the vermin driven back by the water. Hermes 
was the first to observe this, and devised at the same time a correct standard 
for measuring the gradual increase of the flood. This he described in 
hieroglyphics, chiefly by the figure of an Ibis. Hence was he represented 
with the head of this animal instead of that of the dog, to indicate his talent 
as a geometer, or rather nilometer. 
Pl. 8, jig. 22, is a copy of the statue of the god Adlures with the head 
of a cat; but little is known of this idol. The wolf (pl. 9, fig. 9) was the 
guard of Amenthis, the Hades of the Egyptians, and was one of the attri- 
butes of Osiris or Serapis, in his capacity as ruler of the infernal regions. 
The head-dresses with which the Egyptians ornamented their idols differed 
much in appearance, but were always characteristic, and sometimes even 
gorgeous. The most curious will be found in jigs. 11-14. 
In addition to the gods worshipped in the temples, the ancient Egyptians 
had also a kind of domestic gods, who were very highly revered. But as they 
were only idols of particular families, they were not only very diversified in 
appearance, but had even the most grotesque and often rude forms, as will 
be seen from the specimens which we give (jigs. 17-19, and pil. 8, jig. 27, a, 
b, c). 
After what has been said of the gods of Egypt, and the forms under 
which they were represented, it is not surprising that living animals were 
also worshipped or regarded as sacred by the people of that country. But 
those so distinguished were not all of the same character, for the useful 
and harmless ones enjoyed this distinction as a mark of gratitude, while 
fear dictated a similar offering to the noxious beasts and reptiles, in order 
to propitiate them. Neither were the same animals equally esteemed in 
all parts of the country; for those that were worshipped or considered 
sacred in one section were often despised and even killed in another. 
Only a very few enjoyed a universal reverence. Thus, we find that every 
household had its sacred bird as a tutelary deity, which was carefully tended 
and provided for. When one of these sacred animals died, it was brought 
to the priest to be consecrated. The body was then embalmed and placed 
in a tomb in some temple or sacred burying-ground. The pains taken 
with the body depended altogether upon the degree of sanctity ascribed to 
the animal. The Falcon and the Zdzs were treated with marked distinction 
in this respect. Small animals were also sometimes, after they had been 
embalmed, placed in vessels of clay or stone, and thus preserved in the 
family ; but of the larger class, only one or a few limbs were embalmed, 
and then wrapt round with linen, on one end of which the head was 
fastened, or often only a rude likeness of it painted. 
Only a few forms of the symbolic and mythic animals belonging to 
Egyptian mythology have been handed down to us. Some of these will be 
found on pl. 9, jigs. 20 and 21, and on pl. 8, jig. 29, the last representing 
the sacred Camel, the two former probably intended to represent the 
Phoenix, a fabulous bird, who was said to have had a golden plumage. 
In size and form it was thought to resemble the eagle. It was said to 
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