The romance of natural history, second seriesGosse, Philip Henry
History
The romance of natural history, second series
Gosse, Philip Henry
Natural history
[10] _On the Mammoth or Fossil Elephant, &c._ London, 1819.
[11] _Testimony of the Rocks_, p. 97.
[12] See vol. i. p. 361, _supra_.
[13] Latrobe's _Mexico_, p. 192.
[14] _Nat. Voyage_, ch. v.
[15] _Nat. Voy._ ch. viii.
[16] _Compts Rendus_, Jan. 27, 1851.
[17] _Proc. Zool. Soc._, Jan. 27, 1852.
[18] "_The_ Humming-bird." Rather a vague mode of speaking, by a
zoologist, of a genus which numbers more than three hundred species,
varying in size from that of a swallow to that of a humble-bee. But
probably he means one of the minuter species.
[19] _Proc. Zool. Soc._, Nov. 7, 1850.
[20] In the _Times_ of Feb. 21, 1861.
[21] _Proc. Roy. Soc._, X. xxxv. 50.
[22] _Ibid._ IX. xxix. 133.
[23] Because comparatively few readers, and especially the critics, will
take the trouble to ascertain what an author really means if he attempt
argumentation, generally supposing him to be proving something else than
he propounds to himself, it may be needful to say, that I am not
touching the question of the time required for the formation of the
stratified rocks in general, but solely for that of the later Tertiary
deposits.
[24] _Reports of Analysis_, by Apjohn.
[25] Hart _On the Fossil Deer_.
[26] _Zoologist_, for 1846: Preface, p. 10.
[27] Mr Newman, _op. cit._ x.
[28] _Geilt._--According to O'Reilly, this word means "a wild man or
woman,--one living in woods,"--a maniac. It may, however, have been
figuratively applied to some very fierce or untameable creature, either
quadruped or bird, which inhabited the woods. But that the _Simiæ_, or
monkey tribe, were not likely to have at any time inhabited so cold a
country, one would have seen in the term an exceedingly apt expression
for "the wild man of the woods." (Note by Translator.)
But, I venture to remind the reader, there was a veritable ape found in
Britain during the very era of the Giant Deer, and of many of the now
extant animals. I refer to the _Macacus pliocænus_ (Owen) of the
fresh-water deposits. Is it not just possible that the _Geilt_ of
Ireland, the first-named animal in the poem, may have been this species?
A _Macacus_ still lingers in Europe, though the elephants and
hippopotamuses have long deserted us.
[29] _Grib._--Probably the Osprey.
[30] These Wild Oxen are worthy of notice.
[31] The _Toghmall_ was a bird kept as a pet. "When Cuchulain slung a
stone at Queen Meave he killed the Toghmall that was sitting on her
shoulder."
[32] _Ruilech._--Unknown.
[33] _Snag._--Probably the Crane, or one of the Heron tribe.
[34] _Echtach._--From a legend attached to the locality, there is a
possibility that these were a peculiar breed of horned cattle.
[35] _Drenn._--Probably the Wren.
[36] _Cainche_--Unknown.
[37] _Errfiach._--Unknown.
[38] _Cricharan._--Possibly the Squirrel, or the Marten.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account