Wonder and astonishment are always the signs of ignorance, or — which is the same thing — uninitiation.

All ſubſtantiues endyng in on, hauyng i cõmyng next befoꝛe on, be of tbe femyne gendꝛe: Excepte Millyón a myllion / eſcorpión a ſcoꝛpyon a ſarpent / ueſpilión a holy water ſpꝛicle / eſtovrgión a ſturgion fiſhe / psalterión a psaltrion[…]

This is another area in which it's hard to tell the dude from the twitcher, as ratting caps and deerstalkers, flying helmets and even toppers are considered acceptably eccentric.

You can tell he's completely in his element when he's talking about fossils.