FABULOUS CREATURES. 229 



loongs, the "Destroying-fire-dragons," but it is not unlii<ely 

 that, had they known of the celebrated bird they might have 

 named themselves differently, and more appropriately. 



Next comes what surely must be a not distant cousin to 

 Sindbad the Sailor's roc, which thought little of flying away 

 with an elephant. This is the Chinese Tiger-eagle. It has 

 a body as large as that of an ox, and its wings have a spread 

 of 20 ft. As its name implies it is a deadly foe to tigers,, 

 leopards, etc. 



At Twan-sin-chow there is said to be a strange fish-eating 

 bird which makes its home in the swamps and marshes. 

 Whenever it cries, swarms of mosquitoes issue from its 

 mouth. Hence it has the name of Wan-mu-niao, or Mun- 

 mu-niao, the "Mother of Mosquitoes." It is a bird of 

 considerable value to those who can catch or kill it, for fans 

 made of its feathers have an extraordinary reputation for 

 their mosquito repelling quality. It is quite possible that 

 here we have a bit of perfectly correct natural history 

 mingled with some not unnatural error. It is the swamp or 

 marsh that is the real "mother of mosquitoes" : any fish- 

 eating bird frequenting it, and there are many varieties of 

 herons, egrets, bitterns, etc., may well, when calling to its 

 mate whilst stalking through the reeds and grass, drive up 

 flocks of mosquitoes, and thus give rise to the legend. 

 Learned doctors, until Dr . Manson led the way, made not 

 altogether dissimilar mistakes in respect to swamps. They 

 long knew of their malaria-breeding powers, yet they never 

 suspected the mosquito. It is a curious story that, but, of 

 course, it belongs to another category. 



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