320 Ancient Mcbrex^ Names of Animals. 



known fact, that birds, as well as other living creatures, were 

 named from something connected with their habits, call, or 

 appearance ; thus 



-1102 Neser, an eagle, from the verb *ittJ3 neser, to tear. 



DnD Peresh, the ossifrage, a species of eagle which, it is 

 said, not only tears the flesh, but also breaks and swallows the 

 bones ; from did peresh, to break. (See Bocharf, vol. iii. p. 186.) 



n>2i5> Oznie. In the English translation of our bible it is 

 translated osprey. {Lev,,ii\. 13.) Parkhurst says, "What- 

 ever bird was intended, I think it was so named from p on^ 

 strength, and n^2 nie, moaning." (See h\s Heh, Lex, on n>2Ty.) 

 Bate calls it the whining kite. 



nwn Dae, supposed to be our glede, from its sailing manner 

 of flying; it is called vulture. [Lev,, xi. 14.) 



rr>M Aie, Parkhurst supposes this to mean a vulture, and 

 that it has been named aie, from its cry. [Heb, Lex, at n>M.) It 

 is called kite in the English Bible. [Lev., xi. 14.) 



y\'S> Oreb, the raven, from the glossy black colour of its 

 feathers, said to be a mixture of darkness and splendour. 

 any oreb, the evening, a mixture of light and darkness, from 

 a-iy oreb, to mingle. 



n22?' ni Beth ione, translated the owl. {Lev.,ii\, 16.) Park- 

 hurst seems to think it means the ostrich, from their loud cry- 

 ing to each other ; from n23>> r\i beth ione, daughter of the 

 response. 



Donn Tehemesh, translated the night hawk. {Lev., xi. 16.) 

 Parkhurst considers it a species of owl described by Hassel- 

 quist {Travels, p. 196.); from Don hemesh, violence, rapine, 

 outrage. 



rjntt) Sehep, translated the cuckoo. {Lev.,yii, 16.) In an old 

 translation, printed at London in 1599, it is called the sea- 

 mew, a very lean bird, with which Parkhurst seems to agree, 

 from the noun r]n« sehep, a wasting consumption. 



V3 Nets, a hawk, from ns2 netse, to shoot forth ; its mode of 

 flying. 



;di3 Ciish, the little owl {Lev,, xi. 17.); from hiding itself in 

 the daytime ; from hdd kese, to conceal. 



'fiD SeleJc, the cormorant. {Lev.,'Si\, 17.) Parkhurst says, 

 " the cataract or plungeon ;" the lxx, xara^axx)}? Jca- 

 taralctes, from i^«, to cast down. When the bird sees in the 

 water the fish on which it preys, it flies to a considerable 

 height, collects its wings close to its sides, and darts down 

 like an arrow on its prey. {Heb, Lex,, 'j'?©.) 



r]i«2> Inesup, the great owl. {Lev,,y^u 17.) Parkhurst 

 thinks it should be the bittern. {Heb, Lex,, r|ttJ3.) 



