THE MERMAID. 13 



Before endeavouring to identify the object of his delusion, 

 it may be well to mention a few instances of the supposed 

 appearance of mermen and mermaidens in various localities. 



Pliny writes *: " When Tiberius was emperor, an em- 

 bassy was sent to him from Olysippo (Lisbon) expressly to 

 inform him that a Triton, which was recognised as such by 

 its form, had shown itself in a certain cave, and had been 

 heard to produce loud sounds on a conch-shell. The 

 Nereid, also, is not imaginary- : its body is rough and 

 covered with scales, but it has the appearance of a human 

 being. For one was seen upon the same coast ; and when 

 it was dying those dwelling near at hand heard it moaning 

 sadly for a long time. And the Governor of Gaul wrote to 

 the divine Augustus that several Nereids had been found 

 dead upon the shore. I have many informants — illustrious 

 persons in high positions — who have assured me that they 

 saw in the Sea of Cadiz a merman whose whole body was 

 exactly like that of a man, that these mermen mount on 

 board ships by night, and weigh down that end of' the 

 vessel on which the\- rest, and that if they are allowed to 

 remain there long they will sink the ship." 



^lian in one of his short, jerky, disconnected chapters,! 

 which rarely exceed a page in length, and some of which 

 only contain two lines, writes : " It is reported that the 

 great sea which surrounds the island of Taprobana (Ceylon) 

 contains an immense multitude of fishes and whales, and 

 some of them have the heads of lions, panthers, rams, and 

 other animals ; and (which is more wonderful still) some of 

 the cetaceans have the form of satyrs. There arc others 

 which have the face of a woman, but prickles instead of 

 hair. In addition to these, it is said there arc other 



* Naiuralis Hisioria, Lib. ix. cap. v. 



t De Naiurd Animaliumy Lib. svi. cap. xviii. 



