Le cheval, le canard et le navire et pourquoi pas le lapin ?

In the depths of our consciousness there is an equivalence between horses, palmipeds (generally speaking, ducks), and dolphins (and other cetaceans), from the domains of earth, air and water respectively. In these three categories are also cars, aeroplanes and ships. The following pages are especially concerned with the relations between the latter and the natural transporters such as the horse, and the duck, which establishes a communication between air and water, through its adaptation to both these domains. The analysis shows a profound similarity between the duck and the horse as natural beings, and, for the transition to the artificial, between the horse and the ship. The clear distinction that our culture makes between solipeds and cloven-hoofed (ruminant) mammals is reflected in the exclusion of the former and also of the lagomorphs with their split snouts; from this originates the maritime taboo against the rabbit.