Re: VMs: Catoblepas

[Koontz John E <John.Koontz@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004, Jacques Guy wrote:
> My encyclopedia also gives it as the modern name for a sort of gnu. But
> I don't know where it got the "long, very thin neck" from.

I suspect it's simply an explanation, alternative to weight, of why the
beast can't carry its head erect.  It may even originate with the
encyclopaediast.  This tack of adding to the information, by way of
elucidating it, is common enough, if somewhat undesirable in the compilers
of reference works!  It explains why original sources are valuable, and
why postoffice can be such an amusing game.

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