GLOSSY IBIS. 
there was a kind of doll enveloped in wrappers of linen cloth, 
and when these were removed the body fell in a blackish dust, 
but the bones and feathers retained more consistence, and could 
be readily recognized. Dr. Pearson, who received some of these 
jars from Thebes, gives a more minute description, as does also 
Savigny. E. Geoffroy, and Grobert, also brought from Egypt 
some very perfect embalmed Ibises, and I have availed myself 
of every opportunity to examine such as were within my reach, 
and especially those preserved in the Kircherian Museum at 
Rome, one of which, containing a most perfect skeleton, is now 
before me. 
By far the greater part of the jars contain nothing but a kind 
of fat black earth, resulting from the decomposition of the entrails 
and other soft parts buried exclusively in them. Each bird is 
enclosed in a small earthen jar with a cover used for the purpose. 
The body is wrapped up in several layers of cloth, about three 
inches broad, saturated with some resinous substance, besides a 
quantity of other layers fixed in their place by a great many turns 
of thread crossed with much art, so much indeed that it is by no 
means easy to lay the parts bare for inspection without injuring 
them. Space appears to have been considered of much value in 
preparing these mummies, and every means was used to secure 
them within the least possible compass, by bending and folding 
the limbs one upon another. The neck is twisted so as to bring 
the crown of the head on the body, a little to the left of the 
stomach, the curved bill with its convexity upward is placed 
between the feet, thus reaching beyond the extremity of the tail: 
each foot with its four claws turned forward, one bent upward 
and elevated on each side of the head; the wings brought close 
to the sides, much in their natural position. In separating them 
to discover the interior, nothing of the viscera nor any of the 
soft parts remain, the bones exhibit no traces of muscle or 
VOL. iv.—H 
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