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shining skin came off with a flake of the dry brittle filleting, with which it had been bound down; it semed to have been in contact with the flesh: the base of the root lay towards the heel. [Vide Tab. 1.]
This discovery immediately brought to mind a passage in Prosper Alpinus [1] and gave some appearance of probability to a relation, which, as he himself insinuates, might give great reason to doubt his veracity. Speaking of the stone image of a scarabæus, which was found in the breast of a Mummy he adds: "Incredibile dictu, rami rorismarini qui una cum idolo inventi fuerunt, folia usque adeo viridia et recentia visa fuerunt, ut eâ die a plantâ decerpti et positi apparuerint."
The fillets were removed from this foot with great care; they were much impregnated with pitch, excepting about the toes; where the several folds united into one mass, being cut through, yielded to the knife like a very tough wax. The toes being carefully laid bare, the nails were found perfect upon them all; some of them retaining a reddish hue, as if they had been painted: the skin also, and even the fine spiral lines on it, were still very visible on the under part of the great toe, and of the three next adjoining toes. Where the skin of the toes was destroyed, there appeared a pitchy mass, resembling in form the fleshy substance; though somewhat shrunk from its original bulk. The natural form of the flesh was preserved also on the under part of the foot; near the bases of the toes. On the
- ↑ Prosper Alpinus rerum Ægyptiarum, &c; cum notis Veslingii, 1735. pag. 36.
Vol. LIV.
