IN THE HEBEEW SCRIPTURES. 
Ill 
a genus including several species, cannot be questioned, if 
there are any species which it can include. Hyrax, 
among the ^olians, denoted a hog, and it has been used 
by NiCANDER for a mouse. In defence of this application 
of the term, the scholiast remarks, that " mice were so 
called, because they resemble swine in the snout." 
According to Harman, Gmelin, and Shreber, there 
are three species in the genus Hyrax, viz. Capensis, Syria- 
cus, and Hudsonius. Cuvter, however, thinks, that the 
Hyrax Syriacus is the same as the Capensis ; and it can 
only be a rigorous examination of the two animals, which, 
can induce us to believe, that the Hyrax of Lebanon dif- 
fers from the Hyrax of the Cape. 
The Hyrax Hudsonius is the tailless marmot of Pen- 
nant, who says that it has four toes on the hind as well 
as the fore feet ; but Cuvier doubts whether we have any 
account of this animal which can be depended on. Certain- 
ly we must carefully compare it with the Syriacus, before 
we can say that any difference has been established. 
In the present state of our knowledge, then, we have no 
hesitation in agreeing with this illustrious naturalist, that 
there is but one species in the genus Hyrax, the Saphan of 
the Sacred Writings, the Webro of the Arabians, the Da- 
man Israel of Shaw, the Ashkoko of Bruce, and Clip- 
Dass of the Dutch. 
The result, then, to which we have come, after the most 
unbiassed consideration, is, that the Saphan of the ancient 
Hebrews, rendered ' coney ' in the Enghsh Bible, is a 
very different animal ; that it has a nearer resemblance to 
the hedgehog, the bear, the mouse, the jerboa, or the mar- 
mot, though it is not any of these animals. 
While we have arrived at this conclusion, we can boast 
of no discovery. We only find that Bochart, in his zeal 
for the Jerboa, has afforded the materials by which his 
