70 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1893. 



by Symmachus ipneruv, and by St. Jerome in the Vulgate, reptile. 

 Now while it may be urged by those who favor the text of the 

 English versions that as a reptile is a moving or creeping creature 

 the word shrtz may be so translated it does not necessarily follow 

 that all moving creatures are reptiles. It is obvious, therefore, that 

 if the order of creation according to Genesis is to be compared at 

 all with the order of evolution according to the testimony of the 

 rocks, precise rather than general interpretations, as far as possible, 

 must be offered of the Hebrew words in question. The Hebrew 

 word ouph, derived from the stem word meaning to vibrate, to flutter, 

 to fly, we have translated "birds" rather than "fowl," as there is 

 nothing in the context to indicate that fowl especially were the first 

 birds created. According then to the 20th verse of the first chapter 

 of Genesis reptiles were created first and birds of some kind afterward. 

 It is admitted by paleontologists that the earliest formations in 

 which the remains of reptiles have been found are of Permian age, 

 the remains found in the earlier carboniferous strata being rather 

 Amphibian than Reptilian in character. It is also admitted that 

 the earliest formations in which the remains of birds have been 

 found are of Jurassic age, a much later formation than the Per- 

 mian. According to the testimony of the rocks, then, reptiles 

 appeared first and birds of some kind afterward, and this is true 

 even if the supposed footprints found in Triassic rocks should have 

 been made by bird-like animals, since the Triassic as well as the 

 Jurassic formations are of later date than the Permian. Such 

 being the case, the sequence of life as given in the 20th verse of 

 Genesis is the same sequence as that of the rocks. Continuing now 

 the exposition in the 21st verse, according to the original Hebrew, 



living creature every the and great reptiles the Aleim created and 

 wing of bird every the and kind their for waters the abundantly produced which moving 



or according to the old and new versions " And God created great 

 whales (O. V.), the great sea-monsters (N. V.), and every living 

 creature that moveth which the waters brought forth abundantly 

 after their kind and every winged fowl. " 



The only two words in the above verse the interpretation of which 

 demands especial consideration are tninm and rmsh. The word 

 tninm is translated in the Vulgate cete, and in the old English ver- 

 sion " whales," in the Septuagint '/ri rr ii an d in the new version " sea- 



