84 
Account of some Fossil Bones 
not to arise from any degree of superstitious dread, but 
merely from an abiding conviction of the physical powers 
of this prodigious animal, as well as from their belief of 
the moral certainty of such powers being put into 
immediate action if they dared to intrude within the 
precincts of this creature’s resort. 
As a matter of course I treated the whole story (so far 
as related to the present existence of such an animal) as 
fabulous; looking on it as one more of those many 
peculiar tales and legends which so abounded in the 
“ olden time,” and which every nation under heaven 
invariably possesses. I could not but think, however, 
what an excellent companion for the celebrated Roc * 
of oriental story and nursery fairy tale it would have 
made, had it but been known a little earlier: for, how¬ 
ever some few grown-up persons may still delight in 
reading such marvellous exploits, parents generally, I 
think, have come to the wise conclusion to prohibit their 
introduction to the rising generation. 
* Whoever has read the marvellous “ Thousand-and-one Nights” 
must be well acquainted with the monstrous stories related of this 
extraordinary bird. Its celebrity, however, is not confined to that 
work. u Rukh,” says the author of the Arabic Dictionary, " is the 
name of a monstrous bird, which is said to have power sufficient 
to carry off a live rhinoceros.” To this animal Marco Paulo also 
refers, in his relation of the story of the ambassadors : — “ The rukh 
is said, by persons who have seen it, to measure 16 paces across the 
wings from tip to tip, the feathers of which are 8 paces in length, 
and thick in proportion. A feather of the rukh was brought by 
those messengers who were sent by the grand khan for the purpose 
of making inquiries respecting it, which feather is positively affirmed 
to have measured 90 spans, and the quill part to have been two 
palms in circumference.” The existence of this immense bird seems 
to have obtained universal credence throughout all the Eastern na¬ 
tions ; and while ancient historians make mention of certain enor¬ 
mous and peculiar animals as common to the Orientals, scientific 
men of modern times have wisely omitted such relations from their 
nomenclature. 
