n?"

"I mean, for instance, that if a person was to tell me that he had seen
a mermaid, with the body of a woman and the scaly tail of a fish, I
should at once say that I could not believe him. And why? because it is
contrary to the laws of nature. The two component parts of the animal
could not be combined, as the upper portion would belong to the
mammalia, and be a hot-blooded animal, the lower to a cold-blooded class
of natural history. Such a junction would, therefore, be impossible. But
there are, I have no doubt, many animals still undiscovered, or rather
still unknown to Europeans, the description of which may at first excite
suspicion, if not doubt. But as I have before observed, the account
would, in all probability, not be rejected by a naturalist, although it
might be by people without much knowledge of the animal kingdom, who
would not be able to judge by comparison whether the existence of such
an animal was credible. Even fabulous animals have had their origin from
existing ones. The unicorn is, no doubt, the gemsbok antelope; for when
you look at the animal at a distance, its two horns appear as if they
were only one, and the Bushmen have so portrayed the animal in their
caves. The dragon is also not exactly imaginary; for, the _Lacerta
volans_, or flying lizard of Northern Africa, is very like a small
dragon in miniature. So that even what has been considered as fabulous
has arisen from exaggeration or mistake."

"You think, then, Swinton, that we are bound to believe all that
travelers tell us?"

"Not so; but not to reject what they assert, merely because it does not
correspond with our own ideas on the subject. The most remarkable
instance of unbelief was relative to the aerolites or meteoric stones
formed during a thunder-storm in the air, and falling to the earth. Of
course you have heard that such have occurred?"

"I have," replied the Major, "and I have seen several in India."

"This was treated as a mere fable not a century back; and when it was
reported (and not the first time) that such a stone had fallen in
France, the _savans_ were sent in deputation to the spot. They heard the
testimony of the witnesses that a loud noise was heard in the air; that
they looked up and beheld an opaque body descending; that it fell on the
earth with a force which nearly buried it in the ground, and was so hot
at the time that it could not be touched with the hand. It afterward
became cold. Now the _savans_