The Flora of the Assyrian Monuments. By E. Bonavia, M.D.
(Constable.)—Dr. Bonavia easily makes out a, case for the identification of the pine, vine, date, pomegranate, banana, &c., with certain designs on Assyrian monuments, but we do not know that, after settling one or two small difficulties, he tells us any- thing very striking. The mechanical treatment of a bunch of grapes by some ancient designer—he represented the berries by a simple cross-hatching—prevented many from recognising what he meant. Otherwise the flora is what an artist of those days would be most likely to copy. It becomes really interesting when we meet with some composite design, the date or the vine combined with the typical horns. " Horns " were the Assyrian divine symbols, and they appear to have even tied horns to their trees, so powerfully influenced did they become by them. Their survival is to be seen in Italy, and our author even traces the " fleur-de-lys " to them.
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