Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site crystal.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!crystal!unni From: unni@crystal.UUCP Newsgroups: net.jokes Subject: Bizarre Taxonomy Message-ID: <363@crystal.UUCP> Date: Mon, 8-Oct-84 13:41:46 EDT Article-I.D.: crystal.363 Posted: Mon Oct 8 13:41:46 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 9-Oct-84 20:05:55 EDT Distribution: net Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 25 I saw this one in a paper on knowledge representation. Apparently there is an old Chinese encyclopedia called the "Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge". The quote from the paper goes: From the remote pages of this ancient tract comes the following taxonomy of animals: (a) those that belong to the emperor. (b) those that are embalmed (c) those that are trained. (d) suckling pigs (e) mermaids (f) fabulous ones (g) stray dogs (h) those that are included in this classification (i) those that tremble as if they were mad (j) innumerable ones (k) those drawn with a very fine camel's hair brush (l) others (m) those that have just broken a flower vase (n) those that resemble flies from a distance. Honest!! ---------- Shankar Unni {allegra|ihnp4|ucbvax|heurikon}!uwvax!unni