smrraDAT.] KRAKEN.— MERMAID. 243 



do not belong to serpents. And the sea snakes, 

 seen by American and Norwegian captains, have, 

 I think, generally been a company of porpoises, the 

 rising and sinking of which in lines would give 

 somewhat the appearance of the coils of a snake. 

 The kraken, or island-fish, is still more imaginary. 

 I have myself seen immense numbers of enormous 

 urticm marines, or blubbers, in the north seas, and 

 in some of the Norwegian fiords, or inland bays, and 

 often these beautiful creatures give colour to the 

 water; but it is exceedingly improbable, that an 

 animal of this genus should ever be of the size, even 

 of the whale; its soft materials' are little fitted for 

 locomotion, and would be easily destroyed by every 

 kind of fish. Hands and a finny tail, are entirely 

 contrary to the analogy of nature, and I disbelieve 

 the mermaid upon philosophical principles. The 

 dugong and manatee are the only animals combining 

 the functions of the mammalia with some of the 

 characters of fishes, that can be imagined, even as a 

 link, in this part of the order of nature. Many of 

 these stories have been founded upon the long-haired 

 seal seen at a distance ; others on the appearance of 

 the common seal under particular circumstances of 

 light and shade, and some on still more singular 

 circumstances. A worthv baronet, remarkable for 

 his benevolent views and active spirit, has propagated 



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