CURIOUS CREATURES. 301 



tration now given, of the one reconstructed by Thos. 

 Hawkins, in his " Book of the Great Sea Dragons." 

 We know that at some time or other these animals 

 existed, and, it may be, some few lingered on. At all 

 events most civilised nations have had a belief in it, and 

 it was held to be the type of all that was wicked ; so 

 much so, that one of Satan's synonyms is " the Great 



Dragon." In the Romances of Chivalry, its destruction 

 was always reserved for the worthiest knight ; in classical 

 times it was a terror. Both Hindoos and Chinese hold it 

 in firm faith, and, take it all in all, belief in its entity 

 was general. 



The Winged Dragons were undoubtedly more furious 

 and wicked than the Wormes, and there is scarcely any 



