302 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



reason to go farther than its portrait by Aldrovandus, to 

 enable us to recognise it at any time. (See next page.) 

 Topsell gives another, but with scarcely so much detail. 



But, although we in our times have not seen flying 

 dragons in the flesh, we have their fossilised bones in 

 evidence of their existence. The Pterodactyl, as Mr. 

 Hawkins observes, " agrees with the Dragon in nearly 

 all its more important features. Thus, it was of great 

 size, possessed a large head, with long jaws and power- 

 ful teeth. It had wings of great span, and at the same 

 time three powerful clawed fingers to each hand, wings 

 devoid of feathers, and capable of being folded along the 

 sides of the body, while the large size of the orbits may 

 not, improbably, have suggested the name dragon ; for 

 dragon, which is derived from the Greek SpaKwv, means, 

 literally, keen-sighted" 



We now have flying lizards, both in India and the 

 Malay Archipelago, in which latter is found a small 

 lemur which can fly from tree to tree, and we are all 

 familiar with bats, some of which attain a large size. 



Topsell has exercised great research among old 

 authorities respecting dragons, and he draws their 

 portraits thus : " Gyllius, Pt'erius, and Grevinus, follow- 

 ing the authority of Nicander, do affirme that a Dragon is 

 of a blacke colour, the bellie somewhat green, and very 

 beautifull to behold, having a treble rowe of teeth in 

 their mouthes upon every jawe, and with most bright 

 and cleare seeing eyes, which caused the Poets to faine 

 in their writings, that these dragons are the watchfull 

 keepers of Treasures. They have also two dewlappes 

 growing under their chinne, and hanging downe like a 

 beard, which are of a redde colour; their bodies are 

 set all over with very sharpe scales, and over their eyes 



