EASTERN BEAUTIES. 437 



theological writer, primarily signifies "Beauty," and 

 is so translated in several passages. But a reference 

 to the Lexicon shows that among the ancient Greeks 

 " dopxxG " was also the name of an antelope celebrated for 

 its beautiful eyes, and which has been described by 

 Aristotle as the smallest of the horned animals. * 



In our own language, the word is still retained as 

 a female Christian name, and has also been adopted 

 as the title of charitable associations for the supply of 

 clothing to the poor. These societies, as is well known, 

 are so called after the Israelitish lady Tabitha, " which 

 is by interpretation Dorcas, " f mentioned in Scripture 

 as residing at Joppa, and making garments for the 

 poor and Calmet in his History of the Bible, thinks 

 her name may have been derived from the fact of her 

 having fine eyes, of the gazelle type of which we have 

 spoken, the word Tabitha being the Syriac for 

 a gazelle. This peculiar form of eye appears in 

 an exaggerated form in the Chinese and Mongolian 

 races; whereas among the Caucassian, or western 

 European nations, the rounder type prevails such as 

 we are accustomed to at home; in China, however, 

 they are termed "Devil's Eyes," so great was the as- 

 tonishment which their unwonted appearance produced 

 among the lower orders of that most most ancient and 

 remarkable community. 



Like the animals, the numbers of birds seen in the 

 desert are few, and the variety of species among its 



ovdsv iG^is 

 ion r&v yvtoQigoiLSvow dogndg (Aristotle, P.A. Book iii ii 7). 



t See Acts ix., 36. 



See Webster's Dictionary, 1874. Appendix "List of English 

 names of Women." 



