DE MA1LLET 15 



struck with the resemblance of these strange flowers 

 to many animals, and therefore concluded that the 

 latter were derived from the former. 



In the meantime De Maillet, French consul in 

 Leghorn and in Egypt during a number of years, 

 wrote, at the end of his life, a strange book called 

 Telliamed^ (his own name reversed). The greater 

 part of it has little to do with the matter under dis- 

 cussion, but in the last ninety pages, after having 

 considered the real nature of fossils a question at 

 that time much discussed, and concerning which the 

 truth became established only after numerous diffi- 

 culties De Maillet concerns himself with the origin 

 of man and animals. His main idea is that all 

 terrestrial and aerial animals have their origin in some 

 corresponding marine form. For instance, birds are 

 derived from flying fishes, lions from sea-lions, &c., 

 and man from the " homme marin" the husband of the 

 mermaid. The reason he gives for these derivations 

 is curious enough. Considering the many islands 

 there were more of them in his time than at the 

 present day which, although uninhabited by man, 

 contain animals and plants, he argues that if these 

 animals and plants are not derived from marin 



1 Telliamed ; ou, Entretiens (fun Philosophe Indien avec un Missio- 

 naire Francais, etc. , mis en ordre sur les Mtmoires de fen M. de Maillet. 

 Basle, 1749. 



