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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1880.
3. BRAHMANI Duck-What is the origin of the the number of the most comely names" has by term "Brahmani Duck" ? It is applied to the no means been confined to any sacred number, bird usually known to natives as Chakw& and such as 77, 99, 101, or 1,000, in spite of the frequent Chakwi, scientific name Anas casarea or Casarca references to the "ninety-nine names of God." rutila. The term Bråhmani as used to qualify In Mr. Redhouse's notes to each so-called name this bird is quite unknown to the natives of will be found several interesting points of Muslem the Panjab, who can make no conjecture why it superstition. The next article is by Sir Henry should have come to be used by the English. On Rawlinson. It is"Notes on a newly-discovered what grounds is the bird held sacred P
Clay Cylinder of Cyrus the Great." In it he gives a Ferozepore.
R. C. TEMPLE. transliteration and translation of a highly interest4. INDIAN ARMS.-No country in the world can
ing inscription, together with a useful historical
introduction. The cylinder records in effect an vie with Hindustan either for splendor or variety
edict issued by Cyrus after his conquest of Babylon in the production of implements of war, as any one
and of the reigning king, Nabu-nahid (the will see by paying a visit to the collection of Arms
Nabonidus of the Greeks). The record gives the exhibited at the India Museum. The Hon. W. Egerton, M.A., M.P., has compiled a "Handbook"
genealogy of Cyrus in the order stated by Herodo.
tus, viz., 1, Akhæmenes ; 2, Teispes (Sispis); of this collection; it is illustrated by coloured en
3, Cyrus (Kurus) ; 4, Cambyses (Kambujiya); gravings of the choicest arms in the collection, and
5, Cyrus (Kurus) the Great. has an introductory sketch of the Military History
Mr. R. Sewell, M.C.S., follows with a note on of India. The thanks of antiquaries are due to Mr.
Hwen Thsang's account of Dhanakacheka, and Egerton for compiling this catalogue, and thus
Mr. Fergusson gives expression to the doubt with bringing together in one volume, matter that forms
which he-very rightly, as it seems to us-regards an important Indian Historical Monograph.
Mr. Sewell's proposed explanation. M. Sauvaire 5. NGA FIGURES.-Friar Jordanus, (cir. 1325) completes, from a newly discovered MS. at Gotha, in the 4th chapter of his Marvels, in speaking of his translation of the interesting treatise on Western India, says-"There be also venomous Weights and Measures by Már Eliya, Archbishop animals, such as many serpents, big beyond of Nesibe. The number closes with a lengthy bounds, and of divers colours, black, red, white, and discussion as to the age of the Ajanta Caves, green, and parti-coloured; two-headed also, three consisting of a paper by Rajendralala Mitra, Rai headed, and five-headed. Admirable marvels !" Bahadar, followed by a note by Mr. Fergusson.
Col. Yule remarks on this,--that "two-headed Dr. Rajendralala argues that certain inrerintions and even three-headed serpents might be sug- in the caves are in an alphabet that assimilates gested by the appearance of a cobra with dilated to that of the Gujarat dated plates, which belong hood and spectacles, especially if the spectator to the 2nd century AD.," and therefore these were (As probably would be the case) in a great | inscriptions fall between the 3rd century B.C. and fright. But for five heads I can make no apology." | the 2nd A.D. But no scholar now holds that any
The Någa stones to be seen in every village in of the dates on plates from Gujarat are earlier the Konkan represent principally three and five- than the 5th century, and they come down at least headed snakes. May they not have given rise to to the 7th. Arguing exclusively from the age he Jordanus's polycephalous marvels P But if so, thus assigns to inscriptions in certain caves, he what gave rise to the Nâga figures having so many concludes that the paintings in others are from heads? There is one at Banavâsi with five heads 1800 to 2000 years old. Mr. Fergusson trusting and a P&li inscription in the 12th year of King | rather to architectural style and details in deterSatakanni Haritiputa.
mining the age of the monuments, where the
evidence of the inscriptions is so unsatisfactory, THE ASIATIC SOCIETIES.
concludes that the paintings in Cave No. 1 may The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. be of as late a date as the first half of the seventh XII, part i. (Jan. 1880) commences with an century A.D. article by Mr. Redhouse on "The Most Comely Part ii. (April) opens with Max Müller's paper Names"-that is, on the various epithets applied on Sansksit texts discovered in Japan, which has by orthodox Mubammadan writers to their god. also been printed separately. The next consists of The author gives a list of 552 such epithets com- Extracts from an Official Report to the Government piled from various previous lists, explaining each of India on the islands and antiquities of Bahrein, epithet, with references, where necessary, to the by Captain Durand. To this are added valuable Kuran. It is abundantly evident, therefore, that and suggestive notes by Sir H. Rawlinson, con1 The Academy, April 24, 1880, p. 310.
See Book Notice, p. 233.
