THE MUSEUM. 
45 
Canadian. The letters U. S. P. O. D. repre¬ 
sent United States Post Office Department. 
The 3-cent on blue letter sheets contain only 
once in the centre U. S. P. O. D. 
The New South Wales id. stamps for news¬ 
paper bands show a new disposition of water¬ 
marks ; the sheet contains eight stamps, in 
two parallel rows, for an equal number of 
bands. The paper employed is a very strong 
laid paper. On one of the sides .we find a 
water-mark, which is complete with every 
four bands. The other side has no water¬ 
mark ; this-is the reason we find bands with 
and without water-marks. This last, of about 
five centimetres in height, consists of two 
ornamented lines forming the top and bottom, 
between which we find the letters N. S. W. 
The spaces are filled by scroll ornaments. 
The stamps of Great Britain, of the issue of 
1850, have, in each of the four corners of the 
stamp, water-marks representing the heraldic 
flowers of Great Britain, the rose, shamrock 
and thistle. The Russian envelope, 10 kopecs, 
black, of the issue of 1848 to ’54, bears a 
handsome water-mark representing the Rus¬ 
sian coat-of-arms, surrounded by a sort of 
mosaic like the paving of a vestibule. Some 
of the stamps of April 1st, 1867, of Switzer¬ 
land, bear a water-mark representing a dove 
with an envelope tied around its neck, and in 
the act of flying. Those of Prussia, of the 
issue of i85o-’ 56, bear the laurel wreath. The 
first lithographed stamps of Lubeck, of 1859, 
were completely covered over with roses, 
while those of Hanover, of the first series, 
1850-55, bore a water-mark representing oak 
leaves. The presence of this mark served 
to distinguish the 3 pfennige claret of the first 
series from the 3 pfennige rose of the third 
series, which was a reprint, without the water¬ 
mark. The envelopes of the first emission 
of Bremen were printed on plain white paper; 
the later ones bore on the front a large castle, 
representing the arms of Hamburg City. It 
measured .7 x 5% centimetres. The first emis¬ 
sion of the Tuscany stamps (lion), of the issue 
of 1849, was upon bluish paper, with a water¬ 
mark consisting of large sized ducal crowns, 
occupying the space of several stamps, repro¬ 
duced several times and divided from each 
other by parallel lines. Therefore, one finds 
on the §tamp either straight or curved lines, 
or circles, the last two figures representing 
the bands and pearls of the crown. 
pumtaitto. 
NOTES BY HENRY PHILLIPS, JR. 
UMBRELLAS. 
The “ Skiadeion ” was a mystic symbol in 
some of the Grecian festivals, the Romans 
selecting an umbrella as part of the judicial 
insignia, when dispensing justice in the basil¬ 
ica. From this latter custom some have be¬ 
lieved the Cardinal’s hat to have taken its 
COIN OF SIAM, REDUCED. 
origin, as being a modification of the umbrella 
in the basilican churches. 
Among the Egyptians the right to possess 
an umbrella Was a mark of distinction only 
accorded to “ persons of quality.” Assyria 
reserved it for royalty alone. 
In India it is considered as an emblem of 
royalty far more important than even the 
crown itself. The Mohammedan sovereigns 
of India were careful about permitting the use 
of the umbrella by any others than themselves. 
The Hindfis were not so exclusive; the 
chh&ta could be carried by others than kings, 
but only, however, if they were people of dis¬ 
tinction and rank. The king was, par excel¬ 
lence, the chhdt-rapdti , the lord of the um- 
