The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-10-06
Vulgar Errors.

vi iess popular belief, have obtained
the general and generic title Of Vulgar
Errors. Let us examine some OF these
IL Is largely believed that the drug
mama TO be found in spothecsries'
SHOPS, and sometimes as gentle lsxa-
tive for children and delicate persons.
IS identical with the food which fell
from heaven and fed the Israelites (as
described in the fifteenth cnapter of
Exodus, on their forty years journey
IN the wilderness.
The manns Of Scripture is described
as "a small round thing, as small as the
hcsrfrost On the ground" which was
found on the earth every morning, and
melted when the sun waxed hot-twice
the quantity falling on the sixth day,
so that there was no need Of collecting
1t on the seventh day, which was the
Sabbath.
This mamma is stated to have had the
properties Of corn, for it could be
ground in mortar, baked or boiled.
The word mama has been derived back
from The Hebrew, signifying git. Sa-
cred Writ says lit WAS like coriander
seed, whitc, and the taste Of it was like
waters made with honey"
One idea is that this mamma was mir
aculously created, at and for a certain
time and emergency; another, that it is
Identical with an article similarly
named which exudes, in the peninsula
OF Sinai, from species of tamarisk
tree. Only six hundred or eight hun
dred pounds of his are gathered in six
weeks
The mamma of pharmacy exudes from
a species of ash tree, growing in the
aouth Of Italy and in Sicily. 1t flows
from incisions made in the trees, is of
yellowish- white hue. is brought over
in small pieces, has q taste of honey,
aud spongy, pasty feel. Evidently
the name has chiefly caused it to be the
supernatural food of the Scripture
That the swan sings Immediately oe-
fore his death. is smother popular error.
which WAS contr.dicted by Piiny. the
Roman naturalist, some eighteen hun,
dred years ago. Lucian, Elian and
Scaliger, all of whom are classical su-
thorities, have echoed this denial. Col
eridge employed the idea in hia cpl
gram on bad vocalist. thua:
Swans sing before they die;
'Twere no bad thing.
Would certain persons
Die before they sing"
1t was long believed that the mole
has no eyes and the elephant no knees.
This arises from the fact that the eyes
oe ha 10 aan1inrl crno III nd
deeply sunk in his head. Every one
who has visited menagerie can testify
to the fact that he has seen elephants
knees.
There is an erroneous impression that
the pelican "cftimes turns her beak
against her own breast. and pierces it
Herewith until the blood gushes out.
whereof her young partakes, and is
thereby nourished" To do this sharp
beak is required; but the beak of pei
lean is broad and fiat. like the spatula
Of druggist, and incapable of pierre
ing its own breast.
The bird of paradise, formerly very
scarce. but now common enough since
the discovery of New Gninea and ada
cent Papuan Islands. has been the SUBJ
ject Of many legends One is that. not
having any feet. they perpetually fly.
from their birth to their death, resting
in the air. and living upon flies.
Another vulgar error concerning these
birds is that, nature made hele in the
back of the male bird, in which the fe-
male lays her eggs, matches her young,
and feeds them until they are able to
fly.
Yet another bird. the ph9nix. has
been the subject of many wild beliefs.
Sir Thomas Browne, who fourished in
the seventeenth century, and who wrote
a great many curious volumes. includ-
ing An Enquiry into Vulgar Errors
and has told us a good deal abou, this
fabulous bird, which 'lives for many
hundred e,rs. and then burns herself
on Pile Of many scented woods, from
the ashes whereof rises. mp yonpg
phen,x."
There WAS an old belief. wholly uu-
founded on any fact IN natural history,
tIat the harnacle-s species of shell
fish which attaches itself IL the bottom
ot ships. becomes. when broken ofl. a
species of goose. Even Holinshed. the
historian, who lived and wrote IN the
time of Queen Elizabeth, has grsvely
recorded that, with his own eyes. he
saw the feathers of these barnacles
changing out OF the she'll at least two
inches
Several other ancient and credulous
writers have expressed like belief
Gerard says in his Herbal" There
are in the north part Of Scotlande GER
taine trees. whereon DO grow shell-fish-
es, etc, etc. which. falling into the wa
ter. do become fowls. whom we call
blrraclss: in the north of England. brant
oees, and in Lancashire. tree geese.
Conversing on this subject not long
ago. with an intelligent Scotch friend
of mine. who had resided long time
| in the West Indies, he said: when first
went Ia live in the Island OF Domi-
MICA. where. on some parts Of the coast,
a species Of willow trees grows, and
droop over the sea, was astonished 10
| find q great many small oysters hang
/ ing from their branches"
/ In explanation. he added: The tide
rises several feet ON that coast, so that
/ the overhanging branches of the trees
are covered with salt water for several
hours each day. and numerous oysters
attach themselves thereto. When the
/ ,isie ebbs, the oysters remain ciiDging to
/ the branches, and il looks ss II the trees
was literally bearing these pleasant bi-
valves"