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Chapter 24 — The Natural History of the Selenites
Allofthemhadagrotesqueanddisquietingsuggestionofaninsectthathassomehowcontrivedtomockhumanity;butallseemedtopresentanincredibleexaggerationofsomeparticularfeature:onehadavastrightfore-limb,anenormousantennalarm,asitwere;oneseemedallleg,poised,asitwere,onstilts;anotherprotrudedtheedgeofhisfacemaskintoanose-likeorganthatmadehimstartlinglyhumanuntilonesawhisexpressionlessgapingmouth.Thestrangeand(exceptforthewantofmandiblesandpalps)mostinsect-likeheadofthemooncalf-mindersunderwent,indeed,themostincredibletransformations:hereitwasbroadandlow,herehighandnarrow;hereitsleatherybrowwasdrawnoutintohornsandstrangefeatures;hereitwaswhiskeredanddivided,andtherewithagrotesquelyhumanprofile.Onedistortionwasparticularlyconspicuous.Therewereseveralbraincasesdistendedlikebladderstoahugesize,withthefacemaskreducedtoquitesmallproportions.Therewereseveralamazingforms,withheadsreducedtomicroscopicproportionsandblobbybodies;andfantastic,flimsythingsthatexisted,itwouldseem,onlyasabasisforvast,trumpet-likeprotrusionsofthelowerpartofthemask.Andoddestofall,asitseemedtomeforthemoment,twoorthreeoftheseweirdinhabitantsofasubterraneanworld,aworldshelteredbyinnumerablemilesofrockfromsunorrain,carriedumbrellasintheirtentaculatehands—realterrestriallookingumbrellas!AndthenIthoughtoftheparachutistIhadwatcheddescend.
