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basement of the edifice. These nests are often twelve feet high, and have sometimes been seen as high as twenty feet, and large enough to contain twelve men. They consist of an exterior shell, containing an interior apartment, in which are formed a vast number of chambers, galleries, and magazines. In the same regions, the smaller white ant rears its house in the form of a pillar with an overhanging dome, presenting as a whole, but on a greatly enlarged scale, the appearance of a species of mushroom, which one may often find in the woods. These constructions are about three feet high, and the interior is divided into numerous angular cells, which furnish lodgings for the industrious little beings that raise this curious monu

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Besides all this, there is much in the internal economy and management of these insects not less worthy of admiration. Their unwearied industry and indomitable perseverance; the arduous and sincere exertions of every individual for the common welfare; their well-regulated labour; the sagacious judgment with which they avail themselves of favouring circumstances; and the striking evidence which, notwithstanding their minuteness of form, they are enabled to furnish, of the important results which may be produced by the co-operation of large numbers in good and useful objects, are all incentives

which strongly enforce and illustrate the injunction of the wisest of kings: Go to the ant; . . . consider her ways.'

Eleventh Week-Fourth Day.

THE SHAPHAN AND THE RAVENS.-PROVERBS XXX. 17, 26.

THE wise son of Jakeh names, next to the ants, 'the coneys,' among the four things which, although 'little upon the earth,' are 'exceeding wise.' Most of us know that 'coneys' are rabbits, though the word has now, as a name for that animal, almost gone out of use. No doubt our translators did suppose that rabbits were meant by the original Hebrew word, which is SHAPHAN. Yet it does not seem to us that they are right.

Among other reasons, there is this very good one, that no rabbits are found in the Levant.

This animal, the shaphan (always translated by 'coney'), is mentioned in several other places,1 and in the law is included among unclean animals, on the ground that although 'he cheweth the cud, he divideth not the hoof.' Apart from the consideration just stated, the particulars indicated in these texts do not agree well with the rabbit; but they do agree most perfectly with another animal, that has its especial home in the regions in which the Israelites abode, and indeed derives from Syria the designation by which it is known among naturalists. This is the Hyrax Syriacus, known among the Arabs by the name of Wabber. Externally this animal is something of the size, figure, and brownish colour of the rabbit; and although 1 Lev. xi. 5; Deut. xiv. 7; Ps. civ. 18.

it has small roundish ears instead of long ones, it is quite possible for cursory and inexact observers to take the one for the other. It is remarkable, however, that, comparatively small as the animal is, its whole internal construction and skeleton have the greatest possible resemblance, not to a rabbit, but to a rhinoceros! It is, in fact, a somewhat anomalous animal, more closely allied to the pachydermata in essential structure than to any other class. It is of clumsier structure than the rabbit, is without a tail, and has long bristly hairs scattered over the general fur. From the structure of its foot, it cannot dig, and is hence not fitted to reside in burrows like the rabbit, but in the clefts of the rock, in conformity with the intimation here and in Psalm civ. 18. Their timid, gregarious habits well mark out the wabbers as the wise and feeble folk of the present text. They live in colonies in the crevices of stony places; and in every locality that they inhabit, they are timid gentle creatures, loving much to bask in the sun, never stirring from their retreats, moving with caution, and shrinking from the shadow of a passing bird, as they are often the prey of eagles and hawks. Their habits are altogether diurnal, and they feed on reeds and vegetables.

It is remarkable that the single chapter of Proverbs ascribed to Agur contains more allusions to objects of natural history than are found in any other equal portion of the book, though one would expect them to be more abundant with a naturalist so great as Solomon.

We must not pass by another passage in this chapter (verse 17), embodying what some have been disposed (as in the case of the ant) to regard as a popular superstition. It is this: The eye that mocketh his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.' To many this has presented the aspect of a piece of rustic lore. But it is now very well ascertained that, in point of fact, ravens, which feed on carrion, do commence their repast by picking out the eyes of the animal whose carcase they have discovered. It is equally true, that eagles and falcons, which take living prey, do, when the game is large and powerful, aim

their stroke at the eyes, which instinct teaches them to be the readiest way of disabling their victim. This is a matter of familiar knowledge in Persia, where falconry, which has almost been discontinued in Europe, is still maintained with greater spirit than in any other country. Different kinds of fierce and powerful falcons are there employed in taking small game, as well as in giving active and very effective assistance to the hunters in the capture of large wild animals. This they do by fixing on the prey, planting their talons in its flesh, and pecking its eyes with their beaks or beating them out with their wings, till the poor creature, utterly confused and distracted with pain, is overtaken and slain by the hunters. Chardin was informed that, down to the early part of the seventeenth century, fierce falcons from the Caucasian mountains were trained to fly at men, and treat them in the manner just described; and he understood that some such birds were still kept in the royal bird-house. He adds: 'I never saw any of them myself, but I heard that Ali Kouli Khan, the governor of Tauris, with whom I had been particularly acquainted, could not refrain from diverting himself with this dangerous and cruel sport, even at the expense of his friends. It happened one day that one of these birds was let fly at a gentleman, and not being called off in time, put out his eyes, so that he died from the fright and the agony. The king, when he heard of this, was so incensed, that he soon after withdrew his favour from the khan."

Eleventh Week-Fifth Day.

THE FINGERS.-PROV. VI. 13.

THERE is a passage in the sixth chapter describing 'a naughty person,' of whom it is said that 'he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.' Compare this with Psalm cxxiii. 2: 'As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the Voyages, iii. 396. Edit. Langles.

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hand of her mistress.' Taking these two passages together, we have much reason to conclude that the Hebrews possessed some mode of inaudibly expressing their meaning or of conveying their orders by manual signs. They had at least, we apprehend, as much of this as we still find in the East, where motions of the hands are often employed in one form or another as substitutes for oral expression. Let us therefore see what practices, in illustration of these texts, the East can furnish. In regard to the one quoted from the Psalms, it may suffice to observe, that it is the custom in the East to convey orders to watchful attendants and officers by slight, and, except to those who watch for them, scarcely observable, but well understood, movements of the hands and fingers. A person, while in appearance entirely engaged in entertaining his visitors, will give directions to his servants in a way that usually escapes the notice of other persons present, as he does not suspend his conversation, or make any marked movement, not even so much as to cast a glance towards the person to whom the order is given, so sure is he that the servant has not for an instant withdrawn his eyes from the hands of his master. Thus, a despot has been known, while in company, to give a silent and unobserved order, by a slight movement of his hand, for the decapitation of a large number of persons. The hands are also employed, by clapping them together, to summon the servant who may be in waiting outside, as bells are not in use for such purposes in the East.

But with especial regard to the proverb before us, it may be observed that the Orientals are wonderfully proficient in making communications to each other by means of signs and gestures with the eyes, the hands, and the feet. The number of signs of this sort which have a wide and most extensively understood significance, and which are, in fact, in current use among the people, is very large. Having seldom any natural significance, few of them are at once intelligible to Europeans; but in the East a large proportion of the same signs are common to many different nations, forming, for ordinary purposes, a tolerably adequate means of communication between those who do not comprehend each other's oral speech. In this way many a

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