MERMAID'S GLOVE, Halichondria palmata, a sponge pretty common in the British seas, and the largest of British sponges. It grows in deep water, and is sometimes two feet in height. It receives its name from the somewhat finger-like arrangement of its branches. It is not slimy, and has a very porous surface; rough, with myriads of minute frazile spiculm. Its color is yellowish.
3IER't.MACH, or BEL MER'ODACH, the name of a Babylonian god, as is evident from its occurring in Jer. i. 2 in connection with idols. It is supposed to be the name of .a planet, either 3Iars or Jupiter. It is supposed to be derived from the Persian and the Indo-Germanic mord or mort, which means death, and the affix och found in many Assy rian names, as Nisroch, etc. 3Ierodach was identical with the famous Babylonian Bel or Bolus, the word being first probably a mere epithet of the god, and by degrees super seding the proper name. But the names were sometimes distinguished. The golden
image in the temple of Babylon seems to have been worshiped as Bel rather than Mero dach, while other idols may have represented him as 3Ierodach. The temple described by Herodotus as the temple of Belus is, in the inscriptious, the temple of 3Ierodach. But we do not know what the distinction was between the two names. It is not clear -what the aspect of the god was when worshiped. Bel Merodach is represented as the " old man of the gods," " the judge," and Nebuchadnezzar calls him the great lord, " the most ancient," and Neriglissur the " first-born of the gods," " the layer up of treasures." He is regarded as the source of all power, and thus concentrateS in his own person the greater part of that homaKe which had previously been divided among the various gods of the Pantheon. The Babylonian kings were often named after him, as 3Ierodach Baladan, Evil 3Ierodach, etc.