n6 



SCIENCE FROM AN EASY CHAIR 



heraldry recognises some other terrible beasts allied to the 

 dragon ; in fact, what zoologists would call " allied species." 

 The griffin, for instance (Fig. 1 7), is 

 a four-legged beast like the dragon, 

 but has the beak and wings and fore- 

 feet of an eagle, and the hind-legs 

 and tail of a lion. The heraldic 

 hydra is a dragon, such as I have 

 above described, but with seven heads 

 and necks. The ancient Greek re- 

 presentation of the hydra destroyed 

 FIG. 17. The heraldic by Hercules (as painted on vases) 



griffin. It alone of the w Qn the contrary) based Upon the 

 dragon - like monsters . , , 1^1 



has feathery wings. octopus, or eight-armed cuttle-fish, 

 each arm carrying a snake-like head 

 (Fig. 1 8). The wyvern is an important variety of the 

 dragon tribe, well known to heralds, but not to be seen 

 every day. It so far conforms to natural laws that it has 

 only two legs, the fore-limbs being the wings (Fig. 19). 

 The true dragon and the 

 griffin, like the angel of eccle- 

 siastical art, have actually six 

 limbs namely, a pair of fore- 

 legs or arms, a pair of hind- 

 legs, and, in addition, a pair of 

 wings. Occasionally an artist 

 (even in ancient Egyptian 

 works of art) has attempted 

 to avoid this redundance of 

 limbs by representing an 

 angel as having the arms 

 themselves provided with an 

 expanse of quill feathers. This 



is certainly a less extraordinary arrangement than the 

 outgrowth of wings (which in birds bats, and pterodactyles 



FIG. 1 8. Hercules destroying the 

 hydra (copied from an ancient 

 Greek vase). 



