352 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

Solomon’s Song they are used as synonymous terms: “Thy
neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armoury,
whereon there hang a thousand ducklers, all shields of mighty
men.” The first of these words is magen, the latter shiltai,
the plural of she/et.

A few more extracts from Homer will tend to show more
fully the ancient use of leather in the construction of these
articles of defence :—

‘* Ajax approached him, bearing, like a tower,
His sevenfold brazen shield, by Tychius wrought
With art elaborate; like him was none
In shield-work, and whose home in Hyla stood.
He framed the various shields with seven hides
Of fatted beeves, all plated o'er with brass.”

Again :—

“It struck the shield of Ajax; through the brass,
Ita eighth integument, through six of hide
It flew, and spent its fary on the seventh.”

There are also allusions in Scripture to anointing and
rubbing the shield, which implies the use of skins, as they
require this process to prevent cracking. In Isaiah is the
following :—“ Arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield ;”
and in 2 Samuel i., “The shield of the mighty is cast away,
the shield of Saul not anointed with oil.” The words added