C 324 ] 



therefore profeiTes only to abridge him, in which 

 he often does not do juiilce to the original. 



Whatever was afferted bv Ariftotle, is well known 

 to have been moft implicitly believed, till the laft cen- 

 tury j and I am convinced that many of the learned in 

 Europe would, before that time, not have credited 

 their own eyefight againft what he had delivered. 



There cannot be a ftronger proof that the general 

 notion about the cuckow arifes from what is laid 

 down by Ariftotle, than the chapter which imme- 

 diately follows, as it relates to the goatfucker, and 

 Hates that this bird fucks the teats of that animal. 



From this circumftance, the goatfucker hath ob- 

 tained a fimilar name in moll languages, though it is 

 believed no one (who thinks at all about matters of 

 this fort) continues to believe that this bird fucks the 

 goat ~\ ariy more than the hedgehog does the cow. 



I beg leave, however, to explain myfelf, that I 

 give thefe additional reafons only for my doubting 

 with regard to this mod: prevailing opinion ; becaufe 

 I am truly fenfcble that many things happen in na- 

 ture, which contradict all arguments from analogy, 

 and 1 am perfuaded, therefore, that the firft perion 

 who gave an account of the flying fi-lh, was not cre- 

 dited by any one, though the exiftence of this animal 

 is not now to be difputed. 



All that I mean to contend for is, that the in* 

 fiances of fuch extraordinary peculiarities in animals, 

 fhould be proportionably well attefted, in ail the 

 neceiTary circumftances. 



I mud: own, for example, that nothing fhort of the 

 following particulars will thoroughly fatisfy me on 

 this head. 



* See Zinanni p. 95. who took great pains to det?& kh'tS 

 vulgar error. 



The 



