ON INTRODUCED ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 7 



sion of the day into hours, minutes, and 60x60 parts of a minute, 

 was known at an early period to the Egyptians. 



The name and portrait of King Senefru of the Third Dynasty, 

 have been found at Wadi Maghara, in a tablet recording a successful 

 military campaign against a long-bearded nation belonging to the 

 White race (Lepsius II. PL 2). A tomb constructed during his reign 

 has been found by Lepsius, between Abusir and Sakhara. 



The hieroglyphic sign of the guitar occurs in the name of King 

 Senefru; showing, that music was cultivated. — Harpers are figured 

 under the Fourth Dynasty ; and at Benihassan under the Twelfth 

 Dynasty, musical instruments are in the hands of foreigners. 



Numerals occur on the walls of the above tomb (Lepsius II. PI. 3) ; 

 evidence of a knowledge of geometry is found in the construction of 

 the pyramids; and there are reasons for supposing, that nearly all the 

 leading truths in mathematical science had been discovered. Herodotus 

 (who lived before the time of Euclid) held the opinion (ii. 109), 

 that the Greeks obtained their knowledge of geometry from Egypt. 



The feather of the ostrich (Struthio) is figured in the above tomb 

 (Lepsius II. PL 3) ; showing, that the traffic in the feathers and eggs 

 of this bird was in existence. — The ostrich is figured at Benihassan 

 under the Twelfth Dynasty ; and also, clusters of the feathers and eggs, 

 similar to those carried in later times in the Tribute processions of 

 the Eighteenth Dynasty. 



The young shoot of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), is also 

 figured. This is clearly a tropical plant; and its introduction into 

 Northern Africa and Palestine must have produced a marked change 

 in the aspect of the country, and some difference also in the habits of 

 the people. In hieroglyphic writing, the date palm is devoted to 

 chronological subjects ; advantage having been taken of the circum- 

 stance, that the tree lives several centuries, and annually produces a 

 ring of leaves. This original selection seems also to be the source of 

 the remarkable etymological interferences in regard to the name of 

 this tree, in all European languages. — Separate figures of the date 

 palm occur at Benihassan. 



The ibis is also figured in this tomb (Lepsius II. PL 5) . This bird 



appears to have been always associated with the inventor of the art of 



writing, or author of the Books of Thoth. The ibis is sometimes 



figured separately ; but usually rests on an artificial perch, or standard. 



The animal selected as emblematic of a priest, is usually considered 



