blue, the upper and back parts of a dark but brilliant indigo. It is allied to the corn-crake, and is the largest and most beautiful of the family Rallida'. being larger than the domestic fowl. From the extraordinary length of its toes, it is enabled, lightly treading on the flat leaves of water-plants, to support itself without immersion, and apparently to run on the surface of the water. It fre- quents marslies and the sedge by the banks of rivers in all the countries bordering on the Mediterranean, and is abundant in Lower Egypt. Atheniens has correctly noted its singular habit of grasping its food with its very long toes and thus conveying it to its mouth. It is distinguished from all the t>ther species oi Rail idee by its short, j)owerfid mandibles, with which it crushes its prey, consisting often of reptiles and young birds. It will frequently seize a young duck with its long feet, and at once crunch the head of its victim with its beak. It is an omnivorous feeder, and, from the miscellaneous character of its food, might reasonably find a place in the catalogue of imclean birds. Its Hesh is rank, coarse, and very dark-colored. It was anciently kept tame in the precincts of pagan temples, and therefore, perhaps, was marked unclean, as most, if not all, the sacred animals of the heathens were. When, in the decline of idolatrj-, the dog, peacock, ibis, the purple bird in question, and other domesticated ornaments of the temples had disap- peared, Gesner's researches show how early and long the writers of the Middle Ages and of the Revival of Lit- erature were perplexed to find again the porph3'rion of the ancients, although modern naturalists have not the shadow of a doubt upon the subject, the species being, moreover, depicted upon Egyptian monuments. The Porplii/rio hyacinihinus is the species most common in Europe, although there are several others in Asia and Africa; Porpl/i/rio ert/fhropiis, abundant on the south- east coast of Africa, appears to be that which the pagan priests most cherished. — Smith ; Kitto.
Purple Gallinule (Porphijrio Uyacinthinas).
The same Heb. word tinshemeth (PTOdpn; Sept. aty-rraKa^ v. r. OTraXa^, Vulg. lalpa) in Lev. xi, 30, being found among the unclean "creeping things that creej) iqiou the earth," evidently no longer stands for the name of a bird, and is rendered " mole" by the A. V., adopting the interpretation of the Sept., Vulg., Onkelos, and some of the Jewish doctors. Bochart lias, however, shown that the Heb. choled ("iVh), the Arabic khuld or khild, denotes the "mole," and has argued with much force in behalf of the "chameleon" being the tiiishevieik. The Syriac version and some Arabic MSS. understand "a centipede" by the original word, the Targum of Jon- athan a "salamander;" some Arabic versions read sam- nidbriis, which Golius renders "a kind of lizard." In Lev. xi, 30, the "chameleon" is given by the A. V. as the translation of the Heb. choach (nin), which in all
SWAN
47
SWAYZE
probability denotes some larger kind of lizard. See CiiAJiKLEON. Tlie only clue to an identitication of tin- shemeth is to be found in its etymology, and in the con- text in whicli the word occurs. Bochart conjectures that the root (C">^3, na^Z/am, to breatlie) from wliich the Heb. name of this creature is derived has reference to a vulgar opinion among the ancients that the chameleon lived on air (comp. Ovid, Met. xv, 41 1, " Id quoque quod ventis animal nutritur et aura," and see numerous quota- tions from classical authors cited by Bochart, llieroz. ii, 505). The lung of the chameleon is very large, and when filled with air it renders the body semi-transpar- ent; from the creature's power of abstinence, no doubt, arose the fable that it lived on air. It is probable that the animals mentioned with the tinshenieth (Lev. xi, 30) denote ditferent kinds of lizards ; perhaps, therefore, since the etymology of the word is favorable to that view, the chameleon may be the aniinal intended by tiiishemeth in the above passage. As to the change of color in the skin of this animal, numerous theories have been proposed; but, as this subject has no scriptural bearing, it will be enough to refer to the explanation given by Milne-Ed- wards, whose paper is translated in vol. xvii of the Edin- hurgh New Philosophical Journal. The chameleon be- longs to the tribe Dendrosaura, order Satira ; the family inhabits Asia and Africa and the south of Europe. The Chamelco vult/aris is doubtless the species mentioned in the Bible. — Smith. See Tristram, .V«/. //is/, of the Bi- ble, p. 249; Wood, Bible Animals, p. 87, 488. See Liz-
AKD.
SWAN (myth, and astron.), a beautiful constellation in the Milky-way, which may be readily known from the five bright stars, arranged in the form of a cross, of which it is composed. It is situated between Cepheus and Vulpes, to the east of the Lyre. On bright wintr}- nights the naked eye may count a hundred and fifty stars in this large constellation. The Swan commem- orates the form chosen by Jupiter when he deceived Nemesis and Leda, or possibly the singing swan, sacred to Apollo, into which Orpheus was, at death, transformed.
Swan, Roswell Randall, a Congregational minister, was born at Stonington, Conn., .June 1*3, 1778 ; was fitted for college by Rev. Hezekiah N. Woodruff, of Stonington, and graduated from Yale College in 1802. He united with the College Church Dec. 1, 1799. His purpose to enter the ministry was not formed until March, 1804, and shortly after he commenced the study of theology under Dr. Emmons, of Franklin, Mass. In October of the same year, after a severe illness, he con- tinued his studies with Dr. Perkins, of West Hartford. His license to preach was granted him by the Hartford North Association, at Northington, Feb. 6, 1805. Ow- ing to ill-health, he did not immediately settle, but in December took charge of an academy in Stfinington, and supplied the vacant Church there. He was or- dained pastor of the Church in Norwalk Jan. 14, 1807, where he continued until his death, March 22, 1818. See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, ii, 485.