Chapter I: The Extinct

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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 -- AEpyornis -- 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 Gur -- 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 -- Caesar'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, 1

II. THE MARVELLOUS.

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, 96

III. MERMAIDS.

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, 125