In earlier years this fascination manifested itself in the form of fear and mystery; in Greek Mythology, ocean-going voyagers would be at the mercy of Poseidon, the God of the seas; in Norway, folk lore told of a monster named Kraken that was capable of sinking ships; in Aztec mythology, a crocodile-fish hybrid named Cipactli was said to be always hungry with every joint of her body adorned with an extra mouth; and in Japanese stories, fierce winds would blow whenever Isonade, a shark-like sea monster, appeared.

When proper measurements are made, the parameters of the size distribution most often obtained -- the inverse z-average moments -- are not the usually reported parameters of a size distribution.

With a bolt of fright he remembered that there was no bathroom in the Hob-house Room. He leapt along the corridor in a panic, stopping by the long-case clock at the end where he flattened himself against the wall.

England became the rallying-point and a balance in continental politics because her geographical position permitted her to remain unallied until an emergency threatened her and other nations.