Chapter 24 — The Natural History of the Selenites

           ThemessagesofCavorfromthesixthuptothesixteenthareforthemostpartsomuchbroken,andtheyaboundsoinrepetitions,thattheyscarcelyformaconsecutivenarrative.Theywillbegiveninfull,ofcourse,inthescientificreport,buthereitwillbefarmoreconvenienttocontinuesimplytoabstractandquoteasintheformerchapter.Wehavesubjectedeverywordtoakeencriticalscrutiny,andmyownbriefmemoriesandimpressionsoflunarthingshavebeenofinestimablehelpininterpretingwhatwouldotherwisehavebeenimpenetrablydark.And,naturally,aslivingbeings,ourinterestcentresfarmoreuponthestrangecommunityoflunarinsectsinwhichhewasliving,itwouldseem,asanhonouredguestthanuponthemerephysicalconditionoftheirworld.

           Ihavealreadymadeitclear,Ithink,thattheSelenitesIsawresembledmaninmaintainingtheerectattitude,andinhavingfourlimbs,andIhavecomparedthegeneralappearanceoftheirheadsandthejointingoftheirlimbstothatofinsects.Ihavementioned,too,thepeculiarconsequenceofthesmallergravitationofthemoonontheirfragileslightness.Cavorconfirmsmeuponallthesepoints.Hecallsthem“animals,”thoughofcoursetheyfallundernodivisionoftheclassificationofearthlycreatures,andhepointsout“theinsecttypeofanatomyhad,fortunatelyformen,neverexceededarelativelyverysmallsizeonearth.”