* A flock of ravenous fowl.* In Wis 19" 'a new generation of fowls' {vtai y(i>e<nv 6pviuiv) is changed into 'a new race of birds.' In NT the Gr. (always jilu.) is either (pveov (Rev 19"- 2') or jrtrti.'cit. (Mt (!-« 13', Mk 4'- »-, l,k 8» 12-^ 13", Ac 10'- 11»), and, except in the two places in Ac, RV changes into ' birds.
J. Hastings. FOWL. — Neither in AV nor in RV has any S3-stem been followed in the rendering of the various words for birds in the Heb. original. These words are— 1. •■^y '6ph. This word signifies collectively birds or winged creatures. It is often in the construct state with c'r:z-7f the skies. It cor- responds with the Arab, inir, the root of which seems to signify to fly. It ought to be tr'' every- where birds. It is, however, more generally tr'' fold, but also often bird^ (Jer 4^"). It is usually collective (Ezk 31"-"), but sometimes singular (?) (Gn r-"-so_ Lv 17'^). It is sometimes used for carrion birds (2 S 21'°).
2. E's; 'ayit, usually collective (in Is 40" singular, applied to Cyrus) for birds of prey, is, however, tr"* in AV fowls (Gn 15"), RV birds of prey ; also AV fowls (Job 28', Is 18"^), RV bird.s of prey and ravenous birds, AV and RV nisx o-y ravenous birds (Ezk 39^).
3. "ii2>' zipp6r is in many places a collective term for birds, from the root ir)( zdphar, to ' twitter,' or 'chirp,' or ' whistle' (cf. Arab, snfnr, to ' whistle'). It is used collectively, Gn 15"', Lv 14^", Dt 14", etc., where it is tr" AV and RV 'birds' ; Dt 4", Neh 5's, Ps 8», where it is tr" EV 'fowl.' It is sometimes in construct state with i;"'?? (Ezk 17'-^ etc.), at others with r;;? (Ps 148'"). Zippor, like its Arab, equivalent 'usfur, is al.so used for the smaller twittering birds, particularly the sparrow (Ps 84* etc.).
The zippor is said to nest in the cedar (Ps 104"), to flee to the mountains (Ps 11'), to be taken in nets and snares (Ps 124', Pr 6', Am 3'). Pour dillerent ways of t.aking animals and birds .are alluded to in a single pass.age (Job 18""'"). In all there are seven ditt'erent Heb. words for the various sorts of traps. The 'cage full of birds' (Jer 5-'') may refer to the custom of hanging cages of birds on the trees, on which birillime or snares are placed, or near which the sport.Muan lies concealed, to entice the birds by the singing of the cantives (but see Cage). The voice of the zippor (he 12*) is the inorniug song, announcing the dawn.
i. q;: Syj ha'al-kAniiph (Pr 1"), the ' pos.sessor of a wing,' is a figurative expression for a bird.
S. In NT (and Sir 43''') ireTava (or rd r.) is general for birds, by which it is tr' in RV, while .\V gives fnclsCSn h\ I.k 13'"). When birds of prey are intended Cprta is used (Rev 19").
Birds are divided into clean and vnclcan (Dt 14"''-"). Lv gives the list only of the unclean birds (J 113-20) q'lie 'fowls that creep' or 'creeping tiling that flicth,' RV 'winged creeping things' (Lv 11^'=', Dt 14'"), may refer to such as the bats, and the insects that do not leap as well a.s lly (son full discussion in art. CnEKl'lNO THINGS). The birds allowed in sacrifice were turtlcdorcs and pir/eons (Lv l'*'"), and zip/idrim (Lv U*"^'). The lalst wcreprob. any twitterers or clean binls except the two above mentioned. Among the birds men- tioned as having been used as food me quails, jiartridqi-s, fatted fowls {barburim, 1 K 4''', see Cock), and /(>«•/ (zippur, Neh 5"). The la.st may refer to small birds. It is prob. that the .yarrows, sold two for a farthing ami txve for two fnrlhiiigj (Mt Itf*, Lk 12"). were for food. They and otiiei small birds are caughland solil in iinriieusM: uiuuben
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at this day, and at prices similar to those of our Saviour's day. Cocks and hens are mentioned in NT, and were doubtless used for food.
The migrations of birds are especially noteworthy in the Holy Land, as a country midway between the tropics and cooler regions of the north. They are noted in Scripture (Ca 2"-", Jer 8').
Their singing is also alluded to (Ec 12*, Ps 104"), and their/ight (Ex 19S Dt 32"-").
Eggs were eaten (Lk 11'-). The eggs of wild birds, on which the hen was sitting, could be taken, but not the hen at the same time (Dt 22*). Ostrich eggs are mentioned (Job 39", see OsTRICll). 'Eggs that are left' (Is 10") may refer to the supplementary eggs of the ostrich, or to the nests that have been deserted owing to fright of the parent birds. Eggs of serpents are alluded to (Is 59*). For the expression 'sitteth on eggs' (Jer 17" RV, AVm • gathereth young '), see Partridge. Birds' nests are often found in places of worship (Ps 84'). For general subject of buds, their habits, etc., see Natural History. G. E. Post.
FOWLER is marked by the Ox/. Eng. Diet, as ' now rare,' the more commonplace ' bii-d-catcher ' being its substitute. It is found in AV, Ps 124' (BipV, ptcp. of [b'k] to lay snares) ; Hos 9' (B'lp; [all]) ; Ps 91', Pr & [^p'., found also in Jer 5^, AV ' he that settcth snares' ; RV ' fowlers,' which is Wyclif's word). Shaks. has the word but once — Mids. Night's Dream, III. ii. 20 —