Part 1

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THE ROMANCE

NATURAL HISTORY.

EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PAUL'S WORK.

Front.]

THE ROMANCE

NATURAL HISTORY.

by Philip Henry Gosse, F.R.S.

Second Series.

LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

M.DCCC.LXI.

CONTENTS.

I. THE EXTINCT.

PAGE

Death of Species -- Some Died in Early Historic Ages -- Some Dying Now -- Changes of Land and Water -- Tertiary State of Europe -- Dinothere of Germany -- Sivathere of India -- Gigantic Tortoise -- Pachyderms of Siberia -- Rhinoceros -- Mammoth -- Mastodon of America -- Great Quadrupeds of South America -- Sloths -- Habits of Mylodon -- Macrauchen -- Toxodon -- Ancient Australia and its Colossal Birds -- Ancient Britain -- Its Flora and Fauna -- Irish Elk -- Carnivores -- Chronology of the Tertiary Era -- Contemporaneous Existence of Man with the Fossil Fauna -- Gigantic Tortoise -- Condition of Siberian Pachyderms -- Discovery of the Remains -- Contemporary Fauna of Britain -- Chinese and Siberian Traditions -- Indian Traditions of the Mastodon -- State of its Remains -- Its Food -- Comparative Lateness of Geologic Processes in America -- Possibility that the Mastodon was a Beast of Burden -- Darwin on the South American Sloths -- Freshness of their Remains -- Synchronism with Existing Creatures -- Birds of New Zealand -- Maori Tales -- Evidence of Recent Existence -- Story of an English Seaman -- Examination of its Truth -- Fossil Eggs -- Comparison of Dimensions -- Larger Eggs in Madagascar -- Æpyornis -- Its Present Existence Possible -- Discovery of the Notornis -- Tertiary Britain -- Fossil Man -- Worked Flints -- Associated with Fossil Bones -- Species -- Age of Man -- Alluvium of the Nile -- Conclusions from it Delusive -- Rates of Geologic Changes Variable -- Examples -- Evidence of Contemporaneity of Man with the Tertiary Fauna -- Irish Elk -- State of its Remains -- Traditionary and Documentary Evidence of its Recent Existence -- Slaughtered by Man -- Proof of this Fact -- Great Accumulation of Skulls at Lough Gûr -- Weapons found with Elk Relics -- Proofs of its having been Cooked -- Manner of Hunting the Elk -- Ancient Irish Poem on Animals -- No Allusion to the Elk in it -- This Explained -- Notices of Early Oxen -- Their Fossil Relics -- Cæsar's Account of the Urus -- Wild Oxen in Ancient Greece and Western Asia -- Guy of Warwick and the Dun Cow -- The Turnbulls -- The Urus Fossil in Britain -- Vast Size of Fossil Oxen -- Scanian Fossil Ox bearing a Spear-wound -- Other Ancient Oxen -- European Bison -- British Bears -- Period of their Extinction -- Extinction of the Wolf -- Beaver Extinct in Britain -- Almost Extinct in Europe -- Dodo -- Accounts of Voyagers -- Seen in London -- Museum Relics -- Paintings -- Stelleria -- Cheiromys -- Moho -- Kaureke -- Manu-mea -- Nestor of Norfolk Island -- Great Auk -- Its Recent Abundance -- Catalogue of Specimens and Eggs in Cabinets -- Falkland Fox -- Musk Ox -- Hand-tree of Mexico -- Attempt to Estimate the Rate of Species-extinction -- Perhaps One a Year -- Question of Continuous Creation of Species -- Causes of Extinction -- Thoughts of Owen and Darwin -- Geographic Distribution an Important Element -- Fauna Peculiar to Islands -- Red Grouse -- Precariousness of its Existence, 1

II. THE MARVELLOUS.

Vulgar Love of Marvels -- False Causes -- Counter Tendency of Science -- Blood-Showers -- Traced to Butterfly-discharges -- Worms in Horse Pond -- Crimson Snow -- Discharges of Birds -- Real Red Rain -- Waters turned to Blood -- Oscillatoria -- Infusoria -- "Raining Cats and Dogs" -- Snail-showers -- Frog-showers -- At Portobello -- At Leeds -- On the Continent -- Fish-showers -- The Aberdare Shower -- Explanations and Criticisms -- Veritable Fish-showers in South America -- In India -- In Ceylon -- Torpidity of Fishes in Mud -- Lepidosiren -- Its Structure -- Amphibious Fishes -- Climbing Perch -- Salarias of Ceylon -- Provisional Structure, 96

III. MERMAIDS.

The Oannes of Berosus -- Assyrian Representations of Mermen -- Dagon and Atergatis -- Universal Belief in Mermaids -- Opinion of Swainson -- Sirens in Dongola -- Museum Specimens -- Japanese Ingenuity -- Accounts of Living Specimens -- Assumed to be Cow-whales -- Indian Accounts -- Scandinavian Myths -- Mermaids in Shetland -- A Love Story -- Cavern in Skye -- Veritable Narratives -- Hudson's Report -- Steller's Sea-ape -- Rencontre of Weddell's Seaman -- Merman seen at Landscrone -- Mermaid Captured by Six Shetlandmen -- Comments on the Story -- Critical Examination of it, 125

IV. THE SELF-IMMURED.

Toads Found in Wood and Stone -- Difficulties -- Bell's Caution -- Current Explanations -- Mr Bartlett's Toad in Fir-tree -- His Letter in Reply -- Mr Bree's Toad in Sandstone -- Mr Peacock's Toad in Lias -- Toad in Tamarind-wood in India -- Comments on the Report -- Toad in Flint at Blois -- Toad in Iron Ore -- Audi alteram partem -- Mr Plant's Disappointment -- Seven Frogs in Nodules of Limestone -- Toad Immured in Old Wall -- Frog in Freestone -- Toads deep in Stiff Clay -- Experiments -- Dr Buckland Immures Toads in Oolitic Limestone and Sandstone -- Results -- Dr Buckland's Conclusions -- Toads Inclosed in Plaster of Paris -- Critical Examination of the Experiments -- Objections to the Conclusions -- Evidence rather in Favour of Common Belief -- Toad Sixteen Years in Closed-in Wall -- Toad in Mortar under a Horse-block -- Indefinite Torpidity of Wasps -- Mr Bartlett Finds a Bat in a Vault Closed for Twenty Years -- Mr Smith Finds a Bat in a Vault Closed for One Hundred and Six Years, 146

V. HYBERNATION OF SWALLOWS.

The Question -- Popular Belief -- Scientific Statements of Swallows' Torpidity and Submersion -- Achard's Statement -- White's Account -- Cases given by Bishop Stanley -- Supposed Torpidity of American Swift -- Hybernating Corn-crakes -- Barrington's Reports of Torpid Swallows -- Curator Wall's Story -- Fitton's Story -- Swallows in Britain during Winter -- Cases recorded by White -- Montagu -- Yarrell -- C. Bree -- Bell -- Hewitson -- Harcourt -- Rodd -- Hadfield -- W. Bree -- Johnston -- Gurney -- Examination of the Evidence -- Conclusion in Favour of Torpidity, 191

VI. THE CRESTED AND WATTLED SNAKE.

Seba's Museum -- His "Thesaurus" -- Figures of Curious Serpents -- What could they have been? -- Proofs that they were Ophidian, not Piscine -- Reports of Wonderful Serpent in Jamaica -- Singular Character of its Habitat -- Geological and Botanical Features -- Locale of Three-fingered Jack -- Crested Snake Killed here -- Negro Stories of its Voice -- Heard of in Hayti -- Author's Efforts to obtain a Specimen -- Occurrence of Two Specimens, 211

VII. THE DOUBTFUL.

Viper Swallowing her Young -- Conflicting Statements -- Physiologically not Impossible -- Reports of Witnesses -- Mr Percival's Account -- Mr Wolley's Corroboration -- Mr Bond's Testimony -- Case of the Rattlesnake -- Seen by Palisot de Beauvois -- Case of the Common Lizard -- Comments on the Evidence.