136 



THE CONY OF SCRIPTURE. 



Syrian bear, though often regaling himself upon animals, 

 is described as particularly fond of certain kinds of veo-e- 

 table food, and more especially of the chick-pea, among the 

 crops of which he commits terrible depredations. His furry 

 coat is of a light brown colour ; and the upper part of his 

 neck bears a mane of thick, stiff hairs, which increase in 

 length towards the shoulders. This mane terminates about 

 the centre of the back. 



Though in the Biblical age lions must have been of fre- 

 quent occurrence in Palestine, from the numerous allusions 

 to them in Holy Writ, they are now extinct. 



Very rare is now the Daman or Syrian Hyrax, which is 



'^^:^\l~^f:' 



supposed to be the cony of Scripture. Its body is about 

 twelve inches in length, and twelve in height. 



The damans are gregarious, selecting for their domiciles 

 those inaccessible caverns and clefts in which the Syrian 

 precipices abound. When the sun shines they come forth, 

 and take up their position on the crags and ledges, where 

 they can bask in its genial rays. 



