CURIOUS CREATURES. 203 



TWO-HEADED WILD GEESE. 



Near the land of the Cynocephali or dog-headed men, 

 there were many islands, and, " Also in this yle, and in 

 many yles thereabout are many wyld geese with two 

 heads." But these were not the only extraordinary 

 breed of wild geese, extant. 



" As the wise Wilde-geese, when they over-soar 

 Cicilian mounts, within their bills do bear, 

 A pebble stone both day and night : for fear 

 Lest ravenous Eagles of the North descry 

 Their Armies passage, by their Cackling Cry." 



Aristotle mentions the Crane as another stone-bearing 

 bird : " Among birds, as it was previously remarked, 

 the Crane migrates from one extremity of the earth to 

 the other, and they fly against the wind. As for the 

 story of the stone, it is a fiction, for they say that they 

 carry a stone as ballast, which is useful as a touchstone 

 for gold, after they have vomited it up." 



FOUR- FOOTED DUCK. 



Gesner describes a four-footed duck, which he says 

 is like the English puffin, except in the number of its 



