Death of Species—Some Died in Early Historic Ages—Some Dying Now—Changes of Land and Water—Tertiary State of Europe—Dinothere of Germany—Sivathere of India—Gigantic Tortoise—Pachyderms of Siberia—Rhinoceros—Mammoth—Mastodon of America—Great Quadrupeds of South America—Sloths—Habits of Mylodon—Macrauchen—Toxodon—Ancient Australia and its Colossal Birds—Ancient Britain—Its Flora and Fauna—Irish Elk—Carnivores—Chronology of the Tertiary Era—Contemporaneous Existence of Man with the Fossil Fauna—Gigantic Tortoise—Condition of Siberian Pachyderms—Discovery of the Remains—Contemporary Fauna of Britain—Chinese and Siberian Traditions—Indian Traditions of the Mastodon—State of its Remains—Its Food—Comparative Lateness of Geologic Processes in America—Possibility that the Mastodon was a Beast of Burden—Darwin on the South American Sloths—Freshness of their Remains—Synchronism with Existing Creatures—Birds of New Zealand—Maori Tales—Evidence of Recent Existence—Story of an English Seaman—Examination of its Truth—Fossil Eggs—Comparison of Dimensions—Larger Eggs in Madagascar—Æpyornis—Its Present Existence Possible—Discovery of the Notornis—Tertiary Britain—Fossil Man—Worked Flints—Associated with Fossil Bones—Species—Age of Man—Alluvium of the Nile—Conclusions from it Delusive—Rates of Geologic Changes Variable—Examples—Evidence of Contemporaneity of Man with the Tertiary Fauna—Irish Elk—State of its Remains—Traditionary and Documentary Evidence of its Recent Existence—Slaughtered by Man—Proof of this Fact—Great Accumulation of Skulls at Lough GÛr—Weapons found with Elk Relics—Proofs of its having been Cooked—Manner of Hunting the Elk—Ancient Irish Poem on Animals—No Allusion to the Elk in it—This Explained—Notices of Early Oxen—Their Fossil Relics—CÆsar's Account of the Urus—Wild Oxen in Ancient Greece and Western Asia—Guy of Warwick and the Dun Cow—The Turnbulls—The Urus Fossil in Britain—Vast Size of Fossil Oxen—Scanian Fossil Ox bearing a Spear-wound—Other Ancient Oxen—European Bison—British Bears—Period of their Extinction—Extinction of the Wolf—Beaver Extinct in Britain—Almost Extinct in Europe—Dodo—Accounts of Voyagers—Seen in London—Museum Relics—Paintings—Stelleria—Cheiromys—Moho—Kaureke—Manu-mea—Nestor of Norfolk Island—Great Auk—Its Recent Abundance—Catalogue of Specimens and Eggs in Cabinets—Falkland Fox—Musk Ox—Hand-tree of Mexico—Attempt to Estimate the Rate of Species-extinction—Perhaps One a Year—Question of Continuous Creation of Species—Causes of Extinction—Thoughts of Owen and Darwin—Geographic Distribution an Important Element—Fauna Peculiar to Islands—Red Grouse—Precariousness of its Existence,
Vulgar Love of Marvels—False Causes—Counter Tendency of Science—Blood-Showers—Traced to Butterfly-discharges—Worms in Horse Pond—Crimson Snow—Discharges of Birds—Real Red Rain—Waters turned to Blood—Oscillatoria—Infusoria—"Raining Cats and Dogs"—Snail-showers—Frog-showers—At Portobello—At Leeds—On the Continent—Fish-showers—The Aberdare Shower—Explanations and Criticisms—Veritable Fish-showers in South America—In India—In Ceylon—Torpidity of Fishes in Mud—Lepidosiren—Its Structure—Amphibious Fishes—Climbing Perch—Salarias of Ceylon—Provisional Structure,
The Oannes of Berosus—Assyrian Representations of Mermen—Dagon and Atergatis—Universal Belief in Mermaids—Opinion of Swainson—Sirens in Dongola—Museum Specimens—Japanese Ingenuity—Accounts of Living Specimens—Assumed to be Cow-whales—Indian Accounts—Scandinavian Myths—Mermaids in Shetland—A Love Story—Cavern in Skye—Veritable Narratives—Hudson's Report—Steller's Sea-ape—Rencontre of Weddell's Seaman—Merman seen at Landscrone—Mermaid Captured by Six Shetlandmen—Comments on the Story—Critical Examination of it,
Toads Found in Wood and Stone—Difficulties—Bell's Caution—Current Explanations—Mr Bartlett's Toad in Fir-tree—His Letter in Reply—Mr Bree's Toad in Sandstone—Mr Peacock's Toad in Lias—Toad in Tamarind-wood in India—Comments on the Report—Toad in Flint at Blois—Toad in Iron Ore—Audi alteram partem—Mr Plant's Disappointment—Seven Frogs in Nodules of Limestone—Toad Immured in Old Wall—Frog in Freestone—Toads deep in Stiff Clay—Experiments—Dr Buckland Immures Toads in Oolitic Limestone and Sandstone—Results—Dr Buckland's Conclusions—Toads Inclosed in Plaster of Paris—Critical Examination of the Experiments—Objections to the Conclusions—Evidence rather in Favour of Common Belief—Toad Sixteen Years in Closed-in Wall—Toad in Mortar under a Horse-block—Indefinite Torpidity of Wasps—Mr Bartlett Finds a Bat in a Vault Closed for Twenty Years—Mr Smith Finds a Bat in a Vault Closed for One Hundred and Six Years,
The Question—Popular Belief—Scientific Statements of Swallows' Torpidity and Submersion—Achard's Statement—White's Account—Cases given by Bishop Stanley—Supposed Torpidity of American Swift—Hybernating Corn-crakes—Barrington's Reports of Torpid Swallows—Curator Wall's Story—Fitton's Story—Swallows in Britain during Winter—Cases recorded by White—Montagu—Yarrell—C. Bree—Bell—Hewitson—Harcourt—Rodd—Hadfield—W. Bree—Johnston—Gurney—Examination of the Evidence—Conclusion in Favour of Torpidity,
Seba's Museum—His "Thesaurus"—Figures of Curious Serpents—What could they have been?—Proofs that they were Ophidian, not Piscine—Reports of Wonderful Serpent in Jamaica—Singular Character of its Habitat—Geological and Botanical Features—Locale of Three-fingered Jack—Crested Snake Killed here—Negro Stories of its Voice—Heard of in Hayti—Author's Efforts to obtain a Specimen—Occurrence of Two Specimens,
Viper Swallowing her Young—Conflicting Statements—Physiologically not Impossible—Reports of Witnesses—Mr Percival's Account—Mr Wolley's Corroboration—Mr Bond's Testimony—Case of the Rattlesnake—Seen by Palisot de Be
