620 Fabulous Animals. 



tail are anomalies. This animal holds a high rank in 

 heraldry, and is one of the supporters of the royal arms 

 of England. 



The Unicorn is often mentioned in the Scriptures, and 

 by many commentators is supposed to be the rhinoceros. 

 From the book of Job we learn that it was not only an 

 animal of considerable strength, but also of a very fierce 

 and intractable disposition " Will the Unicorn be will- 

 ing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind 

 the Unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he har- 

 row the valleys for thee ? Wilt thou trust him, because 

 his strength is great ? or wilt thou leave thy labour to 

 him ? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home 

 thy seed, and gather it into thy barn ? " Ch. xxxix. ver. 

 9 11. In the book of Psalms, xcii. ver. 10. " My horn 

 shalt thou exalt like the horn of a Unicorn." 



THE PEGASUS. 



ANOTHER liberty has been taken with the horse. My- 

 thology has added wings to its elegant figure, and called 

 it Pegasus. This animal, it is said, sprang from the blood 

 of Medusa, when Perseus had cut off her head ; and im- 

 mediately afterwards flew upwards towards heaven, but 

 stopped short, and alighted on Mount Helicon, where he 

 struck the ground with his foot, and instantly the fountain 

 Hippocrene burst from the ground. During his residence 

 on Mount Helicon, Pegasus became a great favourite with 

 the Muses, who resided occasionally on that lofty moun- 

 tain; and still, when any one attempts extravagant nights 

 of poetry, he is said to have mounted on his Pegasus, as 

 it was difficult to approach the Muses when raised so 

 high. On the contrary, the Castalian fountain on Mount 

 Parnassus was more accessible, and inspired poetry of 

 a gentler nature. But to return to Pegasus ; he was 

 at length tamed by Neptune, or Minerva, and lent by 

 the latter to Bellerophon, to enable him to conquer the 

 horrid monster called the Chimera, which was always 

 shifting its place, and vomiting forth flames and smoke. 

 After the victory was achieved, Bellerophon attempted 



