s portions of
the royal palace are still visible, but otherwise the secular buildings are
completely destroyed; and most of the religious edifices are also
dilapidated.

AVAD[=A]NA, the name given to a type of Buddhist romance literature
represented by a large number of Sanskrit (Nepalese) collections, of which
the chief are the Avad[=a]nasataka (Century of Legends), and the
Divy[=a]vad[=a]na (The Heavenly Legend). Though of later date than most of
the canonical Buddhist books, they are held in veneration by the orthodox,
and occupy much the same position with regard to Buddhism that the
Pur[=a]nas do towards Brahminism.

AVAHI, the native name of a Malagasy lemur (_Avahis laniger_) nearly allied
to the indri (_q.v._), and the smallest representative of the subfamily
_Indrisinae_, characterized by its woolly coat, and measuring about 28 in.
in length, of which rather more than half is accounted for by the tail.
Unlike the other members of the group, the avahi is nocturnal, and does not
associate in small troops, but is met with either alone or in pairs. Very
slow in its movements, it rarely descends to the ground, but, when it does,
walks upright like the other members of the group. It is found throughout
the forests which clothe the mountains on the east coast of Madagascar, and
also in a limited district on the northwest coast, the specimens from the
latter locality being of smaller size and rather different in colour. The
eastern phase is generally rusty red above, with the inner sides of the
limbs white; while the predominant hue in the western form is usually
yellowish brown. (See PRIMATES.)

(R. L.*)

AVALANCHE (adopted from a French dialectic form, _avalance_, descent), a
mass of snow and ice mingled with earth and stones, which rushes down a
mountain side, carrying everything before it, and producing a strong wind
which uproots trees on each side of its course. Where the supply of snow
exceeds the loss by evaporation the surplus descends the mountain sides,
slowly in the form of glaciers, or suddenly in ice-falls or in avalanches.
A mass of snow may accumulate upon a steep slope and become compacted into
ice by pressure, or remain loosely aggregated. When the foundation gives
way, owing to the loosening effect of spring rains or from any other cause,
the whole mass slides downward. A very small cause will sometimes set a
mass of overloaded snow in motion. Thunder or even a loud shout is said to
produce this