The Resurrectionist The Lost Work of Dr. - By E. B. Hudspeth Page 0,25
This would be an evolutionary necessity.
The muscles governing the wings were likely very large. If given the opportunity to view genuine pegasus cells under a microscope, I believe we would unravel the secret of their extraordinary strength. These types of cells are not absent from human muscle tissue; they are merely less active. If human cells could be trained to perform with the same functionality as those of the pegasus, then all would marvel at the greatness achievable by man.
The skeletal structure of the animal will seem familiar to any anatomist familiar with the Aves and Equus forms. Surprisingly, there is no structural deviance from the horse or from the wing structure typical of a common bird. I speculate that this could be quite different among different species of this family.
THE EASTERN DRAGON IS CERTAINLY ONE OF DR. BLACK’S MOST PLAUSIBLE CREATIONS. HE BELIEVED THAT THE CREATURE—AND MANY LIKE IT—STILL EXIST. HE DESCRIBED THE DRAGON AS A SORT OF LARGE AMPHIBIAN, ANATOMICALLY SIMILAR TO OTHER CREATURES IN ITS CLASS. HE BELIEVED THAT THE DRAGON WAS ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST BEASTS, HAVING NO PREDATORS AND NO GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES.
INTERESTINGLY, DR. BLACKMENTIONS THE WESTERN (FIRE-BREATHING) VARIETY OF DRAGON IN HIS NOTES. THIS REFLECTS HIS WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER ALL POSSIBILITIES OF LIFE, NO MATTER HOW FAR-FETCHED THEY MIGHT SEEM.
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DRACONIS ORIENTIS
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KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Amphibia
ORDER Caudata
FAMILY Monsdraconis
GENUS Draconis
SPECIES Draconis orientis
THIS SPECIMEN WAS DISCOVERED in an old monastery on the island of Nakanotorishima, east of Japan. I was the only one among my companions who believed in its authenticity. I purchased the remains, giving the impression it was nothing more than a large serpent, and indeed it really isn’t much more than that. It measures forty feet in length, and though I had only partial skeletal remains, I reconstructed the image of this impressive and august animal. Its size, spine protrusions, clearly advanced claws, and defensive capabilities would have lent it a great advantage in its surroundings.
Other dragons, especially the Western variety, are possible ancient ancestors, though I believe the relationship is likely to be distant. With its wings and phosphorous breath, the Western dragon seems more closely related to the leviathan or the hydra than the Eastern dragon shown here. However, since I have not studied the Western species as of yet, I am unable to scientifically confirm this assertion.
The legends of the Far East offer elaborate and thoughtful descriptions of the area’s native dragons, suggesting that the authors had an intimate knowledge of the species. Like many of the smaller varieties of serpent, lizard, and amphibian, the dragon must have had many shapes and personalities finely adapted to its specific needs and environment. Certainly many of the species are extinct, but not all; I cannot believe this animal no longer exists. Surely it continues to thrive in the deepest of waters or the darkest of swamps.
BECAUSE OF THE CENTAUR’S EXCEPTIONAL WEIGHT, BLACK LIKELY EMPLOYED THE SAME ELABORATE PULLEY SYSTEM USED DURING THE CREATION OF THE PEGASUS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MOST OF HIS TAXIDERMY CREATIONS ARE STILL IN EXISTENCE, BUT ONLY HIDDEN AWAY IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. BLACK WAS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT TAXIDERMIST, AND ANY COLLECTOR WOULD SEEK HIS WORK, LIKELY AT A CONSIDERABLY HIGH PRICE.
BLACK MENTIONS FINDING EVIDENCE IN A insert BULGARIAN VILLAGE, BUT THERE ARE NO ACCOUNTS FROM OTHER ARCHEOLOGISTS TO CORROBORATE THESE REPORTS.
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CENTAURUS CABALLUS
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KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalia
ORDER Perissodactyla
FAMILY Homoequidæ
GENUS Centaurus
SPECIES Centaurus caballus
THE LEGENDS REGARDING these animals are richly colored and decidedly unfavorable. It is possible the centaur was hunted to extinction. Their remains have been found cut into pieces and then ceremonially buried, which suggests they had acquired enemies with a fervor for extravagant punishment. Nevertheless, the centaur prospered long enough to allow for many descendants in its natural history: the centarus ipotane (humans with horse feet); pterocentaur (winged centaur); onocentaur (half man and half bull or ass); and possibly many others.
I acquired the research for my specimen in a small village in Bulgaria, east of Sofia, in the Balkans. There I found a great deal of evidence to suggest that any further excavation and research will bear great and many anthropological fruits. I was unable to homestead in the beautiful countryside for as long as I would have desired. Perhaps one day the research of another scientist will bestow upon the world the secrets of this civilization and the power of the great centaur.
THE HARPY WAS THE CULMINATION OF DR. BLACK’S ACHIEVEMENTS—HIS GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF THE HUMAN FORM AND ITS CAPACITY FOR SELF-EVOLUTION. THIS IS EASILY THE LONGEST CHAPTER OF THE CODEX, WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS OF NOT ONLY THE MUSCULAR AND SKELETAL SYSTEMS, BUT ALSO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND EVEN THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS.
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HARPY ERINYES
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KINGDOM Animalia
PHYLUM Vertebrata
CLASS Mammalatus
ORDER Harpyiaforme
FAMILY Harpyiadæ
GENUS Harpy
SPECIES Harpy erinyes
THE HARPY IS THE mother of all wonders. She was once beloved as a beautiful goddess; more recent portrayals depict her as a wretched beast. I suspect this confusion results from observers viewing different species of the harpy family and ignorantly thinking them to be the same. A likeness can readily be made with other similar species: the cherubim, the Boreads, and a host of others. The species that is studied here is one of the ancient ones, quite unlike its larger and more distasteful cousins.
The smaller harpies do not possess the additional limbs characterized in the likeness of human arms; they are more fowl than human. They do maintain what is clearly a human head and neck; a protrusion in the maxilla forms a hard beak-like ridge underneath the lips, both top and bottom. Only the deep teeth remain: molars and wisdom teeth. The incisor and canine groups are replaced with the beak. The surface of the face (capital and submalar tracks) is cloaked with a fine layering of feathers, making it appear like an ordinary bird’s when viewed from a distance.
Like many other birds, the harpy has a sophisticated air circulatory system composed of sacs that assist in cooling and allow uninterrupted flow of air through their lungs. This mechanism grants the animal the ability to breathe continuously, even during exhalation. The sacs also contribute to lowering body heat from the wing extremities and internal organs.
The harpy’s reproductive system is similar to that of a bird. She has one active ovary and lays eggs. The size of the eggs would have been quite large, perhaps 17–20 centimeters in diameter, and the time of gestation for the newborn would have been nearly five weeks. The young would exit the shell with the help of an egg tooth (a small rigid spike on the forehead used for breaking the egg, which goes away in its early life).
Possessing both the syrinx and the larynx allowed the dual functions of birdsong and the ability to speak. Nevertheless, no evidence of a harpy language has yet been found. Its vascular system bears no great riddles; there is the presence of a complex array of arterial and venous structures that are not foreign to the practitioner of medicine and anatomy.
Additional notes regarding the physiology: lacking a gizzard but instead having a human stomach and large pancreas, an intestinal tract shorter than a human’s and still of a greater length than that of a bird’s, a four-chambered heart and particularly large kidneys would allow the harpy to have married the physiological differences of fowl and human in the bosom. I presume its diet would be carnivorous but certainly capable of digesting nearly anything, even if necrotic.
A FINAL NOTE
SCHOLARS SEEKING ADDITIONAL MATERIALS RELATED TO THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. SPENCER BLACK WILL FIND A TREASURE TROVE OF VALUABLE RESOURCES AT QUIRKBOOKS.COM/THERESURRECTIONIST. THIS EXCLUSIVE ON-LINE CONTENT INCLUDE A SHORT FILM ABOUT THIS BOOK, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS, AND DIGITAL IMAGERY WHICH MAY BE DOWNLOADED FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND PERSONAL USE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS WHEN VISITING THE SITE.
E.B. HUDSPETH
IS AN ARTIST AND
AUTHOR LIVING IN
NEW JERSEY. THIS IS
HIS FIRST BOOK.
Table of Contents
Cover
Other Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Epigraph
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF DR. SPENCER BLACK 1851–1868: CHILDHOOD
1869: THE ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
1870: WARD C
1871–1877: MARRIAGE AND TRANSFORMATION
1878: THE FAWN-CHILD
1879–1887: THE AMERICAN CARNIVAL
1888–1908: THE HUMAN RENAISSANCE
THE CODEX EXTINCT ANIMALIA SPHINX ALATUS
SIREN OCEANUS
SATYRUS HIRCINUS
MINOTAURUS ASTERION
GANESHA ORIENTIS
CHIMÆRA INCENDIARIUS
CANIS HADES
PEGASUS GORGONIS
DRACONIS ORIENTIS
CENTAURUS CABALLUS
HARPY ERINYES
A Final Note