FISHES IN ZOOLOGICAL MYTHOLOGY. 27 



fishing villages on the coast, without being affected by the salt water. 

 I hope to forward a specimen of this interesting fish before the 

 close of the Exhibition." 



An official footnote to this passage is as follows : " Up 

 to the time of going to press with the Second Edition, this 

 exhibit had not arrived." And if any confidence is ever 

 to be reposed in modern science as opposed to ancient 

 fancy, let us hope this terrific creature never will arrive. 



In this class of merely fanciful creatures may be also 

 noticed the Pompilus, the sailor's pilot-fish, which was sup- 

 posed to guide mariners to their destinations, and, having 

 seen them safely into harbour, to go back to look for another 

 job, for Apollo, it is said, changed a fisherman (named Pom- 

 pilus), who had crossed him in his loves, into this fish, and 

 condemned him for all eternity to the task of gratuitous 

 pilotage. The whale, again, was said to be attended by 

 the " musculus," a little fish that swam in front of Behemoth 

 and warned him off the shoals on which he might have 

 otherwise run aground. This legend reappears in the 

 Pentameron, where the whale that has lost its way is told 

 to go and get " the sea-mouse " to pilot it. 



As the fourth class of zoological myths, may be grouped 

 the non-existent sea-monsters 



" Most ugly shapes and horrible aspects, 

 Such as Dame Nature selfe mote feare to see, 

 Or shamed, that ever should so fowle defects 

 From her most cunning hand escaped bee ; 

 All dreadfull pourtraicts of deformitee : 

 Spring-headed Hydres ; and sea-shouldring whales : 

 Great whirlpooles, which all fishes make to flee ; 

 Bright scolopendraes arm'd with silver scales ; 

 Mighty monoceres with immeasured tayles." 



Grseco-Roman literature abounds with them, especially 

 such as were hybrids between men and fish, or between 



