The Romance of Natural History, Second Series   By: Philip Henry Gosse

THE ROMANCE

OF

NATURAL HISTORY.

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

[Illustration: FASCINATION.

Front. ]

THE ROMANCE

OF

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