IV 



THE PREFACE. 



I prefume, cannot properly be afcribed to Birds. It was pro- 

 bably in Conformity to this Quality, that Buxtorf has inter- 

 preted {T^V"^^ Sharakrah) to be the Merops or Bee-Eater ; a 

 Bird very common all over Barbary and the Levant ; which 

 flyes in Flocks, and, in the Heat of the Day, makes a fqualling 

 Noife, though not fo fhrill, as the Shagarag. Jonathan, the 

 S/riac Verfion and the Talmndifts explain cnn Racham, Lev. 

 II. 1 8. or i^onn Rachamah-, Deut. 14.. 17. by Sharakrak, or 

 U'yoyjt Sarakreka\ which Word, being more regarded or fup- 

 poled perhaps to be better underftood, by Munfter and 'Deoda- 

 Ims , than the original Word Rachamah, induced them to 

 tranflateitPic/^, {xhtMagpye, or rather the J^/,) with which 

 our Shagarag has no fmall Affinity, both in Voice and Plumage. 

 I have already taken Notice of the Rachamah, {Trav.p. 388.) 

 which was fo little known to the Jewi/Jj Writers, that the 

 learned Bochart, (Hieroz. 1 1. c. xy.) after acknowledging his 

 own Ignorance of it, complains likewife of Theirs, in this inge- 

 nious and juft Remark; Avem illam, fays he, definire nonpo- 

 tuerint viri, tarn hnperiti rerum nature, quam periti vocum 



interpretes. 



x6o. 1. r6. To copious Rains, add this Note. Nimirum te- 

 niiitas aqua non fufficit ear urn refpirationi. — y^tque eadem 

 caufa e§iy quod in Tonto, cujus or a crehris fluminum flits al- 

 luuntur, non funt tefiacea, nifi quibujdam in locis pauca — ■ 

 etiam in (efiuariis Venetis ohfervatur, teftacea interire, quando 

 immodicis pluviis palufiris Jalfedo diluitur. J. Grand, de Verit. 

 Diluvii &c. p. 66. C. Langii Method. Teftac. p. 7. in Praefat. 



X75'. 1. xy. To painted Tiles, add this Note. A Pavement 

 like this is mentioned Efth. i. 6, 7. The Beds were of Gold and 

 Silver, upon a Tavement of red and blew and white and black 



Marble. 



184-. To the Note, concerning the Kiblah, add. The Temple 

 oijerufalem was the JewiJJj Kiblah, as we are inftruded from 

 thefe Expreffions, iKmgs'^. 38,4^,44.4-8- oi ftr etching out 

 their Hands towards that Houfe, and oi praying towards that 

 Houfe. 



i88. 1.7. To Gurbies, add this Note. Gellio Doxius Coeli 

 filim, lutei adificii inventor, placet, exemplofumpto ab hirun- 



dinum nidis. Plin. 1. 7. c. 5'6. 



189. 1. 16. 



