THE VIPER, OR EPHEH. Passages in which the word _Epheh_ occurs--El-effah--The Sand Viper, or Toxicon--Its appearance and habits--The Acshub--Adder's poison--The Spuugh-Slange--The Cockatrice, or Tsepha--The Yellow Viper--Ancient ideas concerning the Cockatrice--Power of its venom 552 THE FROG. The Frog only mentioned in the Old Testament as connected with the plagues of Egypt--The severity of this plague explained--The Frog detestable to the Egyptians--The Edible Frog and its numbers--Description of the Species. 557 FISHES. CHAPTER I. Impossibility of distinguishing the different species of fishes--The fishermen Apostles--Fish used for food--The miracle of the loaves and Fishes--The Fish broiled on the coals--Clean and unclean Fishes--The scientific writings of Solomon--The Sheat-fish, or Silurus--The Eel and the Muræna--The Long-headed Barbel--Fish-ponds and preserves--The Fish-ponds of Heshbon--The Sucking-fish--The Lump-sucker--The Tunny--The Coryphene 563 CHAPTER II. Various modes of capturing Fish--The hook and line--Military use of the hook--Putting a hook in the jaws--The fishing spear--Different kinds of net--The casting-net--Prevalence of this form--Technical words among fishermen--Fishing by night--The draught of Fishes--The real force of the miracle--Selecting the Fish--The Fish-gate and Fish-market--Fish killed by a draught--Fishing in the Dead Sea--Dagon, the fish-god of Philistina, Assyria, and Siam--Various Fishes of Egypt and Palestine 571 INVERTEBRATES. MOLLUSCS. The purple of Scripture--Various Molluscs from which it is obtained--The common Dog whelk of England--The sac containing the purple dye--Curious change of colour--Mode of obtaining the dye--The Tyrian purple--The king of the Ethiopians and the purple robe--The professional purple dyers--Various words expressive of different shades of purple--Care taken to keep the preparation of the dye secret 586 THE SNAIL. The Snail which melteth--Rendering of the Jewish Bible--Theory respecting the track of the Snail--The Hebrew word _Shablul_--Various Snails of Palestine 589 THE ONYCHA. Ingredients of the sacred incense--The Onyx, or Onycha--Derivation of the word--The Arabic Dofr--The Doofu of Abyssinia--Odour of the perfume 590 THE PEARL. The Pearl of Scripture--Wisdom compared to Pearl--Different renderings of the Hebrew word--Opinions of the Talmudists--Structure of Pearls--The Pearls of the marine and aquatic mussels--Pearl-fisheries of the Conway--Metaphorical uses of the Pearl--The Pearl of great price--Casting Pearls before swine--An ancient proverb 592 INSECTS.