The Trochilus
This bird, as described by Aristotle, and others, is of a peculiar turn of mind:--"When the Crocodile gapes, the trochilus flies into its mouth to cleanse its teeth; in this process the trochilus procures food, and the other perceives it, and does... The Unicorn
What a curious belief was that of the Unicorn! Yet what mythical animal is more familiar to Englishmen? In its present form it was not known to the ancients, not even to Pliny, whose idea of the Monoceros or Unicorn is peculiar. He describes this ... The Walrus
Of the Walrus, Rosmarus, or Morse, Gesner draws, and Olaus Magnus writes, thus:--"The Norway Coast, toward the more Northern parts, hath a great Fish, as big as Elephants, which are called Morsi, or Rosmari, may be they are (called) so from the... The Wolf
The Wolf, as a beast of prey, is invested with a terror peculiarly its own; when solitary, it is not much dreaded by, and generally shrinks from, man, but, united by hunger into packs, they are truly to be dreaded, for they spare not man nor beast... The Ziphius
This Voracious Animal, whose size may be imagined by comparison with the Seal it is devouring, is thus described by Magnus:--"Because this Beast is conversant in the Northern Waters, it is deservedly to be joined with other monstrous Creatures. Th... Two-headed Wild Geese
Near the land of the Cynocephali or dog-headed men, there were many islands, and, "Also in this yle, and in many yles thereabout are many wyld geese with two heads." But these were not the only extraordinary breed of wild geese, extant. "As... Were-wolves
But of all extraordinary stories connected with the Wolf, is the belief which existed for many centuries, (and in some parts of France still does exist, under the form of the "Loup-garou,") and which is mentioned by many classical authors--Marcell... Wild Men
Sometimes a specimen of humanity has got astray in infancy, and has been dragged up somehow in the woods, like Caspar Hauser, and Peter the Wild Boy, and fiction supplies other instances, such as Romulus and Remus, Orson, &c. Some of them were cre... Woolly Hens
Sir John Maundeville saw in "the kingdome named Mancy, which is the best kingdome of the worlde--(Manzi, that part of China south of the river Hoang-ho) whyte hennes, and they beare no feathers, but woll as shepe doe in our lande." ... Zoophytes
Writing on the lower phases of Marine Animal life, he says:--"Indeed, for my own part, I am strongly of opinion that there is sense existing in those bodies which have the nature of neither animals nor vegetables, but a third, which partakes of th...

The Mimick Dog The Crocodile The Lamb-tree The Gorgon Satyrs The Halcyon The Unicorn Snow Birds

The Harpy And Siren The Saw Fish Four-footed Duck Senses Of Fishes The Hornet The Trochilus The Swallow Remarkable Egg