warned him of a deluge that was about to destroy all mankind for their sins, and how Hea ordered him to build an ark. The height and breadth of this were the same, and it was coated within and without with bitumen. This preserved "Sisit" and his family and pilot, with "all the seed of life," for the seven days during which the deluge (sent by the sun-god) was raging. "All life was "destroyed," and the ark finally rested on "the mountain Nizir" (Sad-u-Ni-zir). After seven more days "Sisit" opened the window and sent forth a dove, which returned, then a swallow, which also returned, and finally a raven (aribi). Then he left the ark and built an altar on "the peak of the mountain" (siggurrat sadi), cutting herbs "by sevens" (siba' u 'siba'); and the gods smelt the sacrifice, and at Hea's prayer Bel made a covenant with "Sisit" and declared that he would not again destroy man with a flood for his sins. After this "Sisit" was translated.

and learned commentary on the inscription. He shows from the traditions given by Berosus, as supported by the evidence of the monuments, that the Accadians possessed a connected epic cycle, like the Kalewala of the Fins or the Kalepoeg of the Esths, which included the episodes of the creation, the ten antediluvian kings, the Tower of Babel, &c., copied by Greek writers from Berosus. This cycle was borrowed by the Assyrians along with the old theology and literature; but I much doubt whether the Assyrians ever had an epic of their own, such as M. Lenormant believes he can recover from the pages of Ktesias, and whether M. Rénan's view that the Semite could never originate an epic is not after all the true one. The descent of Allat of Cutha, another form of Istar, into the land of the dead, which is translated in Lenormant's "Essai de Commentaire des Fragments de Bérose," Frgt. xx., belongs to this epic. After lamenting the premature death of her husMr. Smith adds to his translation a band "The Son of Life," Allat passes comparison of the cuneiform narrative through the seven gates, at each of which with the accounts of Berosus and Gene- she leaves part of her apparel, down to sis, but does not attempt any further an- Hades and the golden throne of the Analysis of the legend. Sir H. Rawlinson, unnaci, where she is purified by Mamit, however, in a letter to the Athenæum Istar, and Hea, who has been fetched by (December 8th, 1872) suggested that Gis- his son the Sun-god. The story clearly dhubar was a solar hero, the twelve tablets refers on the one side to Tammuz, and recording his labors during the twelve on the other attaches itself to the legend months of the year. The eleventh month of the sixth month. We may compare was the month "of rain" in Accadian, the legend of Tammuz in Ibn Wahshiya, whence the name of the zodiacal Aqua- and the lament of the gods over him in rius; and this would suit the Deluge- the Temple of the Sun. This is noticed myth as perfectly as the conquest of the by M. Lenormant, who refers to the transwinged bull by Gisdhubar in the second formation of the Vedic deities into the tablet agrees with the second month "of Iranian leaders of the first generations of the favourable bull" (Taurus) or his mar- mankind, and then goes on to review the riage with Ister in the sixth tablet with Hindu account of the Deluge. This is the sixth month "of the errand of Ister." first found in the 'Satapatha-Bráhmana; The suggestion is borne out by the corre- and Eugène Burnouf long ago proved spondence of the legend of Bul, a sea- that it had come into India from a foreign monster which demanded an annual tribsource. The fish that aided Manu would ute of young girls for its food and was be "the saving fish-god" Hea, the earth slain by Gisdhubar and his huntsman primarily, and then the deity of the hearth Tsaid, with the fourth month of "the and the river, as the planet Mercury, Meroseizer of seed" (Cancer). The legend is dach, "the eldest son of Hea," was called compared by Lenormant with the myth"the fish of Hea," (kha-Enu-ci) in the of Perseus and Andromeda, which Eckstein has traced back to Babylonia, where the inhabitants were originally called Kephenes according to Stephanus of Byzantium. I believe that the third tablet, answering to the month of "the twins," or "the bricks," as it is also named, will be found to contain a story not unlike that of Cain and Abel, and of the foundation of the first city, Enoch.

month of Adar (February); and I would explain the double fish of the modern zodiac by the fact that the last month of the year was a double one through the intercalated Ve-Adar (Accadian dir-se). M. Lenormant suggests that, like the legend of the Deluge, the churning of the sea by the help of the serpent Vásuki also made

Tammuz, we are told, belonged to the Janbans or

M. Lenormant's pamphlet is an acute | Janbasiyans, the primeval inhabitants of Babylonia

its way into India from Babylonia; and | Du-zi is associated with Cittu, the sun, in he reminds us that Tiglath-Pileser II. W. A. I. ii. 59, and Istar seems there to penetrated as far as the valley of Indus, appear as his mother. The translation of while Sennacherib speaks of the precious wood of Sinda, and Col. Taylor has found pieces of teak at Mugheir. We may add to this the mention of Mitra in a mythological tablet as a name of the sun. Von Bohlen long ago ventured on the conjecture that Eden in Gen. iii. was India, and the land of Andiu, which is described by the Assyrian king as "a distant place" (W. A. Í. i. 35, 9), may very possibly confirm this, the loss of the initial sibilant shewing that the name had made its way into Assyria through the medium of a Persian population.

Tam-zi, on the other hand, leads us to the Biblical Enoch, whose name (like that of 'Lavvns in Berosus) may be explained by kha-Enu-ci, "the fish of Hea," that is, Merodach at the close of the year. Now Merodach was primarily solar, as is shown by his Accadian name Amar-ud or Amarutuci," the circle of the sun," and he might be described as rising either out of the earth (Hea) or out of the water. The name of Tam-zi's father, again, Ubara-tutu, or "the glow of sunset" (see W. A. I. ii. 2, 254) perhaps reminds us of "the setting" sun. How Tam-zi comes to be called The more I investigate the mythology Sisuthrus by Berosus it is not very easy of Accad, the more I am convinced that to say; since Sisuthrus must be Susru, it is for the most part of solar origin. The an old Chaldean name of Anu, or Na," the larger part of the gods, such as Adar, sky." Na or Nakh, however, seems to "the sun of the south," or Rimmon, "the claim kindred with the Biblical Noah, and south sun in Elam" resolve themselves an ancient Accadian ritual speaks of "the into the great luminary of day. Hence it great flood of Anu in the midst of heaven" is not surprising that the epic cycle of (W. A. I. ii. 19, 40). It is possible, thereBabylonia should revolve round the same fore, that Anu was rather the sky of day, centre. Gisdhubar, whose ship is called as synonymous with the sun, his mother "the ship gis-tuk" in W. A. I. ii. 46, 3, Zigara, or "heaven," being the sky propmay be the god of fire, with dhu," mass," erly so-called; and it is noticeable that or "body," inserted in the middle of the Nagidhdha, the wife of Anu, is "the compound; and the name read "Sisit" queen-mother, the moon." At the same by Mr. Smith means "the sun of life," time a geographical discrepancy has to be which would be pronounced Tam-si in Ac- admitted: Gutium or Kutu which seems cadian. It is impossible not to compare to be the country between the Euphrates this with Tammuz. The character of Tam-and Syria, is called "the fortress of Anu" muz, however, better suits the first hus- (W. A. I. ii. 48, 14), while Nizir was the band of Allat-Istar, whose name would mountainous district to the east of Asbe read in Accadian Dū-zi (see W. A. I. syria, which according to Assur-nazir-pal, iii. 70, 120). Now this exactly agrees with was called by its inhabitants Lullu of CiDuzu, the Assyrian form of the month nipa. Still the situation of Gutium is not Tammuz, and we can only account for the quite certain; and we find Anu entitled variant Tammuz by a confusion of Tam-"the lord of the land of the East" (W. zi and Du-zi, two several forms of the sun. A. I ii. 54, 45).

Of the pres

THE Gerarchia Cattolica for 1873, which was these appointments are vacant. published at Rome last week, gives some ent cardinals, eight were appointed by Pope curious statistics about the cardinals of the Gregory XVI. and thirty-seven by Pius IX. Roman Catholic Church. The total number During the long pontificate of the latter no of the existing cardinals is forty-five, but fewer than ninety-seven cardinals have died, there are twenty-seven vacancies. Twenty- most of whom were appointed by himself. one of the cardinals are upwards of seventy The number of nuncios and internuncios of years of age; the youngest cardinal is Prince the Holy See at foreign Courts is eight: one Lucien Bonaparte, who is forty-five, and was made cardinal at the age of forty. Of the other high functionaries of the Church, including bishops, vicars apostolic, and prefects apostolic, the total number is 975. (This is inclusive of Monsignor Mermillod.) 103 of

in Austria, one in Bavaria, one in Belgium, one in Brazil, one in France, one in Holland, one in Portugal, and one in Switzerland. Besides these there are three delegates in the South American Republics and the West Indies. The diplomatic corps accredited to the

A REMARKABLE instance of canine sagacity is reported by the Ellenville (New York) Press. About three weeks ago Mr. Enderby, of Napanoch, was engaged in transacting business in that village, and left his horse attached to a chaise tied under a shed. Remaining with the horse was a faithful coach dog, who took advantage of his master's absence to enjoy a hurried nap in the vehicle. In the meantime the horse somehow became untied, and started off at a furious gallop. This awakened the dog, who, at once seeing the state of affairs, attempted to seize the reins with his mouth, but was unable to do so owing to their being covered by a rug and overcoat. Fortunately, however, on reaching Centre-street Bridge, the reins fell from the vehicle on to the ground, when the dog, with singular presence of mind, leaped nimbly after them, caught them in his mouth, reined the horse to a standstill, and held the reins firmly until he delivered them with a graceful wag of the tail to a stranger, whom, under ordinary circumstances, he would not have permitted on any account to approach his master's property.

Pall Mall.

THE Chinese take a curious method to prevent their pigeons from being attacked by birds of prey while circling over the cities or moving from place to place. This consists in the employment of small, short cylinders of bamboo, arranged so as to form a whistle or reed pipe, in groups of three or four, or more. These are attached to the back of the bird, and so adjusted that as it flies through the air a very sharp sound is produced. Varying lengths of the bamboo give variety of tones to this instrument; and when a large number of birds are flying together in a single flock, as is very frequently the case, the sound produced by them is distinctly audible for a great distance. It is said that rapacious birds are effectively repelled by this precaution, so that the pigeons make their flights with perfect safety from one point to another. Varnish is used for coating these bamboo whistles to protect them from moisture. This practice is said to have been in vogue among the Chinese for a great many years.

Nature.

FOR the preservation of old manuscripts we have chiefly to thank our friends the monks, to whom the book-stealer was an object of horror. "This book belongs to St. Mary of Robertsbridge;' is written in Latin in a work in the Bodleian; whoever shall steal it, or sell it, or in any way alienate it from the house, or mutilate it, let him be Anathema-maranatha. Amen.' And underneath is written by another hand: 'I, John, Bishop of Exeter, know not where the aforesaid house is, nor have I stolen this book, but I have acquired it in a lawful way.' "Another of such subscriptions ends thus: "Whosoever removes this volume from this convent may the anger of the Lord overtake him in this world and in the next to all eternity. Amen.""

Pall Mall

THE Marquis of Salisbury has contributed to the April number of the Philosophical Magazine, an original paper "On Spectral Lines of Low Temperature.' If a thermometer be fixed on an insulated metal plate connected with one of the secondary poles of a powerful inductorium, the discharge produces a green light in the vacuum above the mercury in the thermometer-tube. This light, though accom- IT is well known to experimentalists that panied by only the slightest possible develop- when a properly shaped piece of heated metal ment of heat, is sufficiently strong to admit of is placed on a cold metallic surface, the hot spectroscopic study. Different thermometers body is thrown into a state of vibration, and exhibit considerable differences in their spec- rapidly rocks to and fro on its points of sup tra. While instruments by the best makers port. Although Sir J. Leslie long ago attrib show only three bright mercury-lines, other uted these effects to the expansion of the cold thermometers exhibit lines coincident with block by the heat flowing into it from the those given by certain compounds of carbon. heated rocker, it has been objected by high These carbon-lines are probably due to small authorities that such rapid vibrations could quantities of grease retained in the thermome-not result from the slow conduction of heat ter-tubes, and as the hydrogen of the grease does not exhibit any of its characteristic lines, it would seem that this element does not become luminous under electric influence at this low temperature. The light examined in these experiments was produced at a temperature below 600 Fahr. Athenæum.

and consequent expansion of the metallic support. Mr. A. S. Davis, of Leeds, has therefore entered into a mathematical investigation of the subject, and has published his work in the Philosophical Magazine. The conclusions at which he arrives confirm the truth of Sir J. Leslie's original explanation. Athenæum.

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