of hares, ram’s heads, &c.  These animals, that is to say the sacred animals that actually had life, were waited upon by the priests, and the pain of death was inflicted upon any person who killed them.  Among the birds are many figures of hawks, some with human faces, others with the solar disk on the head, or the conical cap; the ibis, variously decorated; snakes and fishes; uraei; wooden fragments of vipers; frogs; scorpions; a bronze crocodile; scarabaei, in lapis-lazuli and other substances; emblems of stability; a wooden head of the hippopotamus from the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes; vultures; and snakes.

Next to the cases of sacred animals are two (12, 13) devoted to small statues of various kinds, in various substances.  In the first division of these cases are stone heads of priests, and officers of state with long hair; and in the second, many curious objects are arranged, including figures of men seated on thrones; a standing figure of a Pharaoh; a long haired officer of state carved in ebony; rowers, with moveable arms, taken from the models of boats.  The third division includes a dark green figure of a royal scribe, kneeling and holding a tablet on which the prenomen of Rameses is visible; kings in various attitudes; the bronze figure of a kneeling priest supporting a bowl containing loaves; an altar of libation, with sacred animals, and vases, cakes, &c.; various figures of scribes and others; a female figure with a calf suspended about the neck by its legs, and the hand resting upon the horns of a gazelle; reclining female figures; parts of two females supporting monkeys; a seated female with blue hair; and fragments of figures.  The fourth division contains other Egyptian figures.  Having examined these two cases the visitor should approach those in which the larger

EGYPTIAN HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS

and other curiosities are deposited.  These cases are six in number (14-19).  From these cases the visitor will have an opportunity of gathering a general idea of the domestic comforts of the ancient Egyptians.  Here are arranged their chairs, stools, and head-rests, as they were used three thousand years ago.  In the first division are, an inlaid stool from Thebes, with a maroon-coloured seat; and a high-backed chair, inlaid with ivory and dark woods, and a seat of cordage, also from Thebes; but the most curious objects in this division are the Egyptian pillows or head-rests, called uls.  These are hollowed clumps of wood or metallic substance, supported upon a column, and used by the hardy ancients as rests for the head.  In the present day the poorest beggar would think one of these uls a sorry rest for his weary head:  yet some of the specimens have the titles of men of distinction engraved upon them.  Pillows, however, were not unknown luxuries to the Egyptians, as a pillow of linen, stuffed with water-fowl feathers, and deposited in the second division of the cases under notice, testifies.