THE WOODPECKER'S TOOLS: HIS FOOT 85 



continent but just one ; we might have seen that 

 every other one agreed with our theory, as it 

 does ; we might have supposed that the explana- 

 tion was good past doubting ; but that one ex- 

 ception — if it was a logcock — would still over- 

 turn the whole theory ; and the very facts that 

 we relied upon to strengthen us — its resem- 

 blance in size, habits, shape, and color to the 

 ivory-billed woodpecker — have been the strong- 

 est possible means of totally demolishing our 

 fine theory. We have learned, if nothing more, 

 that all the facts must be examined and ac- 

 counted for before an explanation is accepted as 

 indisputable. 



