48 THE PIttMIEC. 



and singular they may appear at first. Many of these accounts 

 contain interesting and true information which is often concealed 

 under superstitions, mistakes, forms of language or erroneous in- 

 terpretations. The duty of the man of science is then similar to 

 the task of the miner who separates gold from its quartz. Very 

 often he also, with a little work and cautious criticism will succeed 

 in redeeming, from a heap of errors, some important truth. 



