Pliny was trying to be comprehensive by communicating all that was believed about a subject, whether verified or not. In fact, given the limitations on travel

Pliny was trying to be comprehensive by communicating all that was believed about a subject, whether verified or not. In fact, given the limitations on travel and communications at the time, it was rarely practical to confirm the stories communicated by people (sailors, for example) who had reported phenomena. Even things which are correct in his account were as difficult to verify as the untrue ones. In the age of instantaneous communication, Buzzfeed authors can verify most things relatively simply, they just choose not to.