MERMAID. 287 



and, with scarcely 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. 



OiiN. — And yet there were people who 

 believed this 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 



