14 
refpecting the Pelicaz may be pronounced 
a wilful milreprefentation. But if thefe 
accounts have at length been difcarded, 
we are not without modern wonders of 
a very fimilar nature; it is not many 
years fince aftonifhment was excited by 
the defcriptions given of the Barzacle 
Goofe, the Agnus Scythicus,or Plant-animal, 
and of that enormous maf{s of animal 
materials the Kraken. ‘The Barnacle 
Goofe is a large fea-fowl, which it was 
aflerted, was produced, not from the egg 
of its own fpecies, like all other birds, 
but from a fimall fhell-fifh of the multi- 
valve kind. Da Colta in his Natural Hif- 
tory of Britith Shells, noticing this ftrange 
conceit, believed not only by the com-. 
monality, but even by learned naturalifts, 
gives an inftance in our countryman 
Gerard: he firmly believed it, by facts 
which he fays came within his own know- 
ledge, and after reciting the ftory in a 
circumftantial manner, gravely ends his 
narrative in the following words, *¢ for 
the truth hereof, if any doubt, may it 
pleafe them to repair unto me, and I 
fhall fatisfie them by the teftimonie of 
good witneffes;*’ but though firmly be- . 
lieved by great numbers, the ftory is 
now well known to be totally unfounded. 
The Agnus Scythicus, or Plant-animal, 
was faid to grow in Tartary. It was 
produced from a feed refembling that of 
the melon, and grew to about the height 
of three feet, having feet, hoois, ears, 
and the whole head excepting horns, 
refembling a Lamb. When wounded, a 
liquor oozed out like blood, and it lived 
as long as there was gra{fs or herbage 
around it ; but when thefe were coniumed, 
it wafted and died. The wolves were 
very fond of it, &c. Two or three 
naturalifts have written f{erioufly on this 
fubje&t ; the creature has been fhown in 
different mufeums; and a figure of it is 
given in one of the early volumes of the 
Philofophical Tranfa&tions. It is icarcely 
neceflary to add, that the inquiries of 
travellers concerning it have been fruit. 
lefs. The Kraken has been defcribed 
as an animal of a crab-like form; its 
back or upper part, when it rifes in the 
water, beimg at leaft a mile and a half in 
circumference, and its horns fometimes 
appearing as high and large as the matfts 
of middle-fized veffels. It has been fup- 
pofed that if it were to take the largelt 
man of war in its arms or claws, it would 
pull it down to the bottom. The fup- 
poled exiftence of this creature refts on 
the authority of Bifhop Pontoppidon, as, 
fince his time, ne further particulars have 
2 
Vulgar Errors in Natural Hiffory. 
[Feb. 1, 
been obtained, except an account which 
appeared in the newfpapers of Auguft 
1786, the authenticity of which is very 
doubtful. ’ 
In fome infances, the love of wonder 
has engrafted on real peculiarities much 
imaginary fingularity, as in the accounts 
which have been given of the Camelioz, 
the Cookoo, the Elephant, and the fafcin- 
ating power afcribed to Serpents. We 
are by no means to diteard fuch accounts 
as unworthy of examination becaule they 
contain a large portion of the marvellous 5 
for though an apparent departure from 
the ufual ceconomy of nature fhould ex- 
cite our caution, it will by no means 
warrant a hafty conclufion that it cannot 
be true; fo far as competent teftimony or 
fair reafoning leads us we ought willingly 
to go, but the moment thele guides for- 
fake us, we fhould ftop, and confider 
whether it is not better to fufpend our - 
judgment than to rifk adopting an error. 
Had thefe principles been aunered to, 
the animals juft mentioned would proba- 
bly not have acquired fo much celebrity.— 
Let us examine their pretenfions to it. 
The Camelion was faid to live on air; but 
on diffe€tion of fome of them, their fio- 
machs have been found full of finall 
infeé&ts. Another quality afcribed to this 
creature was that of changing at plea- 
fure the colour of its coat inftantaneoully : 
this, however, is only true in a very li- 
mited degree; they certainly have the 
power of dilating and contracting their » 
fkin, which may caufe fome alteration in 
its hue, as may alfo removal from fun 
fhine to fhade ; it may likewife aflume a 
different appearance when the creature is 
irritated or frighted, as we fee in the 
flethy appendage of a Turkeys neck, and 
even in fome degree in the human coun- 
tenance, but beyond this it appears not 
to poffefs any peculiar qualities. Of the 
Cookoo we are told, that when the breed- 
ing feafon arrives, it feeks for the nef 
of a Yellow Hammer, a Hedge Sparrow, 
or other fmall bird, and taking a proper 
opportunity of the abfence of the legal 
proprietor, it devours or deftroys the 
eggs it finds, and lays one of its own in 
their room, which is hatched by the bird 
to whom the neft belonged, who rears the 
young Cookoo as its own offspring : other 
accounts include more extraordinary cir- 
cumftances, but they are fo contrary to 
all that is known of other fpecies of the 
feathered tribe, that, notwithitanding they 
have of late been attefted by fome refpec- 
table authorities, I cannot avoid fufpedt- 
ing that when we are in pofieflion of 
more 
