WereadwhattravellerstellusabouttheKingofDahomey，ortheFejeeIslandpeople，ortheshortandsimpleannalsofthecelebritiesrecordedintheNewgateCalendar，anddonotknowjustwhattomakeofthesebrothersandsistersoftherace。butIdonotsupposeanintelligenceevenashighastheangelicbeings，tostopshortthere，wouldseeanythingverypeculiarorwonderfulaboutthem，exceptaseverythingiswonderfulandunlikeeverythingelse。
Itisverycurioustoseehowscience，thatis，lookingatandarrangingthefactsofacasewithourowneyesandourownintelligence，withoutmindingwhatsomebodyelsehassaid，orhowsomeoldmajorityvotewentinapackofintriguingecclesiastics，——Isayitisverycurioustoseehowscienceiscatchingupwithonesuperstitionafteranother。
Thereisarecognizedbranchofsciencefamiliartoallthosewhoknowanythingofthestudiesrelatingtolife，underthenameofTeratology。Itdealswithallsortsofmonstrositieswhicharetobemetwithinlivingbeings，andmoreespeciallyinanimals。Itisfoundthatwhatusedtobecalledlususnaturae，orfreaksofnature，arejustasmuchsubjecttolawsasthenaturallydevelopedformsoflivingcreatures。
TherusticlooksattheSiamesetwins，andthinksheiscontemplatinganunheard-ofanomaly。butthereareplentyofcasesliketheirsinthebooksofscholars，andthoughtheyarenotquitesocommonasdoublecherries，themechanismoftheirformationisnotawhitmoremysteriousthanthatofthetwinnedfruits。Suchcasesdonotdisturbtheaveragearrangement。wehaveChangsandEngsatonepole，andCainsandAbelsattheother。Onechildisbornwithsixfingersoneachhand，andanotherfallsshortbyoneormorefingersofhisdueallowance。butthegloverputshisfaithinthegreatlawofaverages，andmakeshisgloveswithfivefingersapiece，trustingnaturefortheircounterparts。
Thinkingpeoplearenotgoingtobescaredoutofexplainingoratleasttryingtoexplainthingsbytheshrieksofpersonswhosebeliefsaredisturbedthereby。CometswereportentstoIncreaseMather，PresidentofHarvardCollege。preachersofDivinewrath，heraldsandmessengersofeviltidingstotheworld。ItisnotsoverylongsinceProfessorWinthropwasteachingatthesameinstitution。Icanremembertwoofhisboysverywell，oldboys，itistrue，theywere，andoneofthemworeathree-corneredcockedhat。