UNNATURAL NATURAL HISTORY 59 
mermaid was stated to have been captured 
near the Island of Boors. 
What type of creatures these supposed 
mermaids and mermen really were it is difficult 
to state ; but it has been suggested that the 
dugong or manatee has given rise to many 
of these old stories, the shape of the animal’s 
body resembling to an imaginative mind the 
outline of a human form, while the manner 
in which the female clasps her young one to 
her breast with one flipper, and swims about 
by means of her disengaged limb, at the same 
time keeping her own and her baby’s head 
above water, adds to the illusion. So-called 
mermaids and mermen are not infrequently 
exhibited by travelling showmen, but these 
are fakes which usually take the form of 
stuffed or dried specimens of fish with varying 
embellishments attached, such as representa¬ 
tions of human heads. 
Many old beliefs are of a very humorous 
nature, and the ancient fallacy that the elephant 
had no joints is, to say the least, somewhat 
astonishing. Owing to its supposed unfor¬ 
tunate condition the creature was unable to 
he down, so in order to rest its ponderous 
frame it was forced to sleep with its body 
leaning against a tree. This method of repose, 
however, was not without its disadvantages, 
