FISHES.

THERE are but few references to the subject of Ichthyology in the inspired writings. The reasons are obvious: the Jews being an agricultural people, fish formed no considerable part of their food; nor could they furnish any striking objects of comparison or illustration to the sacred writers, as in the case of quadrupeds and birds.

The well-known biblical appellations are two words expressive of their amazing fecundity:* and the latter of their rapid motion. In Gen. i. 21, the word taninin, rendered in our English Bibles, 'great whales,' seems used to describe fish of the largest description, without being restricted to any particular species.

There seems to be four divisions of the aquatic tribes, strongly marked in nature, which are usually called the spinous or bony kind; -the cartilaginous, or those which have gristles instead of bones; -the cetaceous tribe, or those of the whale kind;-and the crustaceous, or shell fish.

Fish was the common food of the Egyptians. Hence we may see how distressing was the infliction which turned the waters of the river into blood, and occasioned the death of the fish, Exod. vii. 18-21. Their sacred stream became so polluted as to be unfit for drink, for bathing, and for other uses of water to which they were superstitiously devoted, (ch. ii. 5; vii. 15; viii. 20;) and themselves obliged to nauseate what was the usual food of the common people, and held sacred by the priests.

From Neh. xiii. 16, we learn, that in the time of Nehemiah, the Tyrians brought fish in considerable quantities to Jerusalem, for purchasing which on the Sabbath-day, that zealous patriot reproved the elders of the Jews. As the people of Tyre were remarkable for their skill in maritime affairs, it is impossible to say how far their fisheries might extend; but from Le Bruyn we ascertain, that fish in large numbers, and of excellent quality, were to be procured in the neighborhood of their own city. Nor should we omit to notice, in justification of John xxi. 11, that the sea of Tiberias was well stocked with fish of a very large size.

The narrative of Jonah's extraordinary preservation from death, when thrown overboard by the terrified mariners, has furnished

*The Abbe Pluche shows, from Leuwenhoek, that a single cod, though not of the largest size, contained 9,334,000 eggs; and observes, that though a common carp is far from having such a number of eggs, yet the quantity of them is so amazing, even at the first glance, that it contributes very much to justify the above calculation.-Nature Displayed, vol. i. p. 230, 231,

ample materials for the cavils of the infidel, and for the speculations of the philosopher and the critic. In the sacred text, the particular fish which was rendered the preserver of the disobedient prophet, is not specified; although the Septuagint translators have inserted the whale, and the evangelists, in recording our Saviour's words relative to the event and its typical character, have used the same word. It by no means follows from this, however, that the writers of the gospels designed to give their sanction to this interpretation: the LXX being the version in common use among their countrymen, they quoted it without alteration, where its deviation from the original involved no serious consequences.

Although the whale is the largest of all known fish, its gullet is too small to permit the passage of a human body through it, and therefore we cannot, without the supposition of an additional miracle, admit this to be the fish intended.

Our Lord observes (Luke xi. 30) that 'Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites;' and it is remarkable that the event should have been so widely spread and attracted so much notice, that among the few fragments of antiquity remaining to us, this little history should receive from them larger confirmation than some others, of greater extent and magnitude. The heathen have preserved the fact, but applied it to Hercules.

REPTILES.

THIS numerous and diversified class of being is distinguished by two appellations in the sacred writings, (Gen. i. 24, 25; vii. 21;) the one being expressive of its motion, that is, crawling; and the other of its abundant production or increase. Reptiles of all sorts, except those furnished with wings, were unclean, Lev. xi. 41. We shall notice them under three divisions: LIZARDS-SERPENTSWORMS.

SECTION I.

LIZARDS.

DR. SHAW has shown, that the tzab or tjab of Lev. xi. 29, which we call the tortoise, is a lizard, called in Arabic, with a near approach to the Hebrew name, dhab or dab, agreeing nearly in shape, and in the hard pointed annule or scales of the tail, with the candiverbera or shake-tail, as it is represented in Gesner, and Johnson. The dab, or Saharawan lizard, is about eighteen inches long, and three or four inches broad across the back. I not poisonous. It lays eggs like the tortoise. It is very swift, and, if hunted, will hide itself in the earth, which it penetrates with its nose, and nothing will extricate it but digging up the ground.'

DR. GEDDES understands the Hebrew name, rendered ferret Lev. xi. 30, to denote the newt, and Dr. James takes it for the fro but, as its name seems to be taken from the cry it makes, the pro ability is, that the species of lizard called in Egypt, the Gecko, the animal intended. It is thus described by Cepede:

"Of all the oviparous quadrupeds whose history we are publis ing, this is the first that contains a deadly poison. This deadly li ard, which deserves all our attention by his dangerous properti has some resemblance to the chameleon; his head, almost tria gular, is large in comparison to his body; the eyes are very larg the tongue flat, covered with small scales, and the end rounde the teeth are sharp, and so strong that, according to Bontius, the are able to make impressions on the hardest substances, even steel. It is almost entirely covered with little warts, more or le rising; the under part of the thighs is furnished with a row of t bercles, raised and grooved. The feet are remarkable for ov scales, more or less hollowed in the middle, as large as the und surface of the toes themselves, and regularly disposed one ov another, like the slates on a roof. The tail of the gecko, is con monly rather longer than the body, though sometimes shorter; is round, thin, and covered with circular rings or bands, formed several rows of very small scales. Its color is a clear green, spo ted with brilliant red. The name, gecko, imitates the cry of th animal, which is heard especially before rain. It is found in Egyp India, Amboyna, &c. It inhabits by choice the crevices of ha rotten trees, as well as humid places; it is sometimes met with i houses, where it occasions great alarm, and where every exertion i used to destroy it speedily. Bontius states, that its bite is so venom ous, that if the part bitten be not cut away or burned, death ensues in a few hours.'

Mr. Charles Taylor thinks there is an allusion to this reptile in Deut. xxxii. 33: Their wine is the poison of dragons; and the cruel venom of asps.' The allusion here is to the venom (Eng transl. wine) of the taninim; and this venom is associated, by comparison, with the cruel venom of asps-pethenim-serpents. The following extract is from Bontius.

The Javanese use to dip their arrows in the blood of ture; and those who deal in poison among them (an art much esteemed in the island of Java, by both sexes) hang it up with a string tied to the tail on the ceiling, by which means it being exasperated to the highest pitch, sends forth a yellow liquor out of its mouth, which they gather in small pots underneath, and afterwards coagulate into a body in the sun. This they continue several months together, by giving daily food to the creature. It is unquestionably the strongest poison in the world.'

THE CHAMELEON.

IN the English Bible, the CHAMELEON is transformed into the mole, (Lev. xi. 30,) an animal that has little pretension to be associated with reptiles of the lizard species. The Hebrew word, from a root which signifies to breathe, is peculiarly appropriate to this curious animal, which, according to vulgar opinion, is the 'creature nourished by the wind and air.'

The chameleon nearly resembles the crocodile in form, but differs widely in its size and appetites. Its head is about two inches long, and from thence to the beginning of the tail four and a half; the tail is five inches long, and the feet two and a half; the thickness of the body varies at different times, for the animal possesses the power of blowing itself up and contracting itself, at pleasure.

During his visit to the East, Le Bruyn purchased several chameleons, for the purpose of preserving them alive, and making observations on their nature and manners; but the most interesting account of this curious animal is that furnished by the enterprising and lamented Belzoni, which we transcribe.

'There are three species of chameleons, whose colors are peculiar to themselves; for instance, the commonest sort are those which are generally green, that is to say, the body all green, and when content, beautifully marked on each side regularly on the green with black and yellow, not in a confused manner, but as if drawn. This kind is in great plenty, and never have any other color cxcept a light green when they sleep, and when ill a very pale yellow. Out of near forty I had the first year when I was in Nubia, I had but one, and that a very small one, of the second sort, which had red marks. One chameleon lived with me eight months, and most of that time I had it fixed to the button of my coat: it used to rest on my shoulder, or on my head. I have observed, when I have kept it shut up in a room for some time, that, on bringing it out in the air, it would begin drawing the air in; and on putting it on some marjorum, it has had a wonderful effect on it immediately: its color became most brilliant. I believe it will puzzle a good many