NATURAL HISTORY of NO RJP A T. 195 



not reach below his ears ; his eyes lay deep in his head, and he 

 had a meager and pinched face, with a black beard, that looked 

 as if it had been cut. His skin was coarfe, and very full of hair. 

 Peter Gunnerfen related, (what the others did not obferve) that 

 this Mer-man was, about the body and downwards, quite pointed 

 like a Fifh. This fame Peter Gunnerfen likewife depofed, that 

 about twenty years before, as he was in a boat near Kulleor, (the 

 place where he was born) he faw a Mer-maid with long hair, 

 and large breads. Thefe ferrymen further depofed, that the 

 weather was very fine and quite calm during the fame day, and 

 for feveral days following. 



That this examination was taken in the moft regular and exact 

 manner, attefts, Elfeneur, ut fupra, 



Andrew BuiTseus. 



Whilft I am writing this, the reverend Mr. Hans Strom informs 

 me, that in Bergenfund on Sundmoer, there has alfo this Summer 

 been feen a Mer-man of the common form: however, in all 

 thefe accounts probably fancy has exaggerated a little. 



The before-mentioned Marmsele, or, as fome call it, Marmaete, Marmste. 

 belongs alfo to this clafs of the Mer-maid : tho' I fhall not call it 

 the Mer-man's offfpring, yet one might give it this name till 

 further examined into. This creature is often caught on hooks, 

 and is well known to moft of the fifhermen. They are of dif- 

 ferent fizes ; fome are of the bignefs of an infant of half a year 

 old ; others of one of a year ; and others again as big as a child of 

 three years old : of this laft fize there was one lately taken in 

 Selloe-Sogn ; the upper part was like a child, but the reft like a 

 Fifh : thofe who caught it threw it directly into the fea. Some- 

 times the peafants take them home to their houfes, and, as they 

 fay, give them milk, which they drink. They tell us that 

 thefe creatures then roll their eyes about ftrangely, as if it was 

 out of curiofity, or furprife, to fee what they had not feen before. 

 Thofe that venture to take them home, do it in hopes of having 

 fomething foretold by them ; but they do not keep them above 

 2,4 hours, fuperftitioufly thinking themfelves bound to row out 

 to fea, and put them down in the fame place where they found 

 them. 



S E C T. VI. 



The Soe Ormen, the Sea-Snake, Serpens Marinus Magnus, J^g™* 

 called by fome in this country the Aaale-Tuft, is a wonderful and Serpcntof the 

 terrible Sea-monfter, which extremely deferves to be taken notice ocean * 



of 



