ON NATURAL HISTORY. 175 



shape somewhat resembling a mole, though considerably larger; 

 its skin is of a silky, I might almost say feathery fur (if I may be 

 permitted to use such an expression); in length it is about 

 eighteen inches, as nearly as I can state from recollection. The 

 ornithorynchus is entirely amphibious, but at present very little 

 is known respecting its habits. 



The most difficult, but perhaps one of the most curious connect- 

 ing links is that between birds, fish, and reptiles. The flying fish is 

 of course very plainly indicated in the progressive chain. This 

 persecuted animal seems to be the victim of both the classes with 

 which it claims affinity. Driven from the waves by the attacks of 

 various fish, and seeking shelter in the regions of air (and even that 

 region proving inimical by drying its fins), it falls a victim to its 

 more powerful enemies on the wing, or is compelled to return to 

 the recesses of the deep, from which it is again obliged to fly, 

 till forced back again by the attacks of the aquatic birds of prey, 

 when, if it should not fall in a state of utter exhaustion on the 

 deck or amidst the rigging of some passing vessel, it is speedily 

 devoured by the dorado.* The most beautiful of the species is 

 the Trigla volitans, or flying gurnard; it swims and flies after the 

 manner of the common flying fish (Exocaetus). These fish are 

 occasionally found in the Mediterranean, and also in the Atlantic 

 and Indian oceans : both the Exocaetus evolans and the Trigla 

 volitans are capable of sustaining a continuous flight of near 250 

 feet. 



The Draco volans seems to present itself as the bond of union 

 between birds and reptiles. This lizard is said to be found in 

 Java, where it is reported to perch on trees, and feed on insects.f 



It will be necessary to enter on another very important series 

 ere this somewhat lengthy paper be brought to a close, namely, 

 the connecting link between mankind, fish, and quadrupeds. This 

 idea is sanctioned by the opinion of Dr. Shaw, who conceives 

 the seal or phocae of the ancients to have been assimilated with 

 our own species by its structure ;t and Mr. Pennant also con- 

 siders the common seal, the phoca vitulina, to be the phoca of 

 the ancients. He further adds, the structure of the seal is so 

 singular, that as Buflfon observes, it was a kind of model on which 

 the poets formed their tritons, syrens, and sea gods, with human 

 heads, the body of a quadruped, and the tail of a fish. In 

 later days it may have occasioned the superstitions at one 

 period so generally received in the united kingdoms of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, relative to the white ladies, § mermaids, 

 and as in Lancashire, the white witches of the sands. || The 



* Likewise by the Coryphaena hippuris, or dolphin. 



t Very little is as yet known of this reptile : there were, however, two specimens 

 in Bullock's Museum. 



+ Vide Shaw. x 



§ See Sir Walter Scott. 



II The " moving sands," near Lancaster : not frequented by seals, yet their 

 existence elsewhere may have given rise to the idea. 



