ninth day.] MERMAID. 247 



any locomotive powers, would be the prey of other 

 fishes, formed in a manner more suited to their 

 element. I have seen a most absurd fabrication of a 

 mermaid, exposed as a show in London, said to have 

 been found in the Chinese seas, and bought for a 

 large sum of money. The head and bust of two 

 different apes were fastened to the lower part of a 

 kipper salmon, which had the fleshy fin, and all the 

 distinct characters, of the salmo salar. 



ORN. — And yet there were people who believed 

 tins to be a real animal. 



HAL. — It was insisted on, to prove the truth of 

 the Caithness story. But what is there which people 

 will not believe ? 



POIET. — In listening to your conversation we have 

 forgotten our angling, and have lost some moments of 

 fine cloudy weather. 



HAL. — I thought you were tired of catching trouts 

 and graylings, and I therefore did not urge you to 

 continue your fly-fishing ; and this part of the river 

 does not contain so many grayling as the pools above 

 — but there are good trout, and it is possible there 

 may be huchos. Let me recommend to you to put on 

 minnow tackle — that tackle with the five small hooks ; 

 and, as we have minnows and bleaks, you may 

 perhaps hook trout, or even huchos ; and in half an 

 hour our fish dinner at the inn will be ready. I 



