Sicily presents to the ordinary tourist attractions which in number ...

136 ANTIQUITIES IN THE MUSEUM AT PALERMO.
The Tipper part of the Caduceus consists of two
serpents twisted, with the heads facing each other, which
is the most common form; though we sometimes find
them turned in opposite directions. 1 Underneath each
head is a projection, which, at first sight, might lead one
to suppose that the artist intended to represent the
gaping jaws of snakes, which open very widely. But a
closer inspection convinces us that this is not the case.
It has been suggested that these projections, which are
at right angles to the heads, were only added as pegs
to hang fillets or garlands upon: Salinas, however, is
probably right in saying that the snakes are bearded, for
so they frequently appear on Greek coins, especially on
those of Alexandria; though such an appendage does
not occur in nature, and is absolutely impossible. The
length of the Caduceus is fifty-two centimetres. 2
This wand is most common in the hand of Mercury, but
it does not by any means follow that in the present case
it belonged to a statue of that deity, as an accessory or
attribute. For in the first place there is no mention of
any vestige of such a statue having been found near the
Caduceus, and secondly, instances of this staff carried by
a herald are not wanting. One is given by Montfaucon
to illustrate the word Caduceator, and others from fictile
vases may be seen in Rich's " Companion to the Latin
Dictionary." 3 For these reasons, taking also into account
the position of the Caduceus and the inscription upon it,
we may fairly infer that it was placed by the Imacharenses
in a temple as a sign of peace or alliance with some other
city.
The manuscripts and editions of Cicero, Pliny, and
Ptolemy exhibit the various forms Imachara, Imichara,
Imacara, Machara, Macara, Ήμι-^αρα, Ίμιχαρα; similarly
1 For' numerous representations of the
caduceus see Montfaucon, "Antiquite
Expliqude," tome i, part 1, Plates lxviii—
lxxvi; in PL lxxi, 5, the snakes are looking
away from each other. Compare
Supplement, tome i, "Apres la xxxvi,
Planche," PI. xxxviii.
2 Dr. Giinther, of the Natural History
Department in the British Museum, informed
me that a snake could no more
have a beard than a man could have a
head growing out of his elbow. Bearded
snakes therefore may be put in the same
category with other monstrosities of
Greek art, " Gorgons and Hydras and
Chimaeras dire," as Milton has grouped
them together. So in Cuvier, " Regne
Animal," tome iii, Reptiles, pp. 95—138,
and Atlas, tome iii, Plates xxiii—xxxvi
ter, no example of bearded snakes can be
found.
3 Montfaucon, "Antiquite Expliquee,"
Supplement, PI. xxxviii, no 3, which
is described in page 100. Rich, s.v.
Caduceus and Ceryx.