164 On the Natural History of the Dugong, 
molares, which result from the nature of their food. The neck, 
which can scarcely be said to exist in the other cetacea, owing to 
the diminutive size of the bodies of the cervical vertebre, is more 
apparent in this family, which thus becomes approximated in ge- 
neral appearance to the amphibious Fer, the walrus and the seal, 
_ with which it was long confounded in the systems. And as by the 
naturalists they are confused in the scientific works, so were they 
indiscriminately the subjects of the strange superstitions of the igno- 
rant vulgar. Observing in early times the mamme and the bearded 
chin of these animals, the people, fain for miracles and supernatu- 
ral events, fancied that they saw the united forms of men and fish. 
The authenticity which was attached to the narratives, which at 
different times were published, would once have authorized their 
repetition in our pages ; but if we now permit ourselves to relate 
some of the absurdities which were retailed from author to author 
with implacable mendacity, it is rather to illustrate the eccentric 
path in which the mind of man may wander, than for the purpose 
of showing that all these tales of mermaids and sea-nymphs are to 
be referred to the occasional appearance of a morse, a seal, a mana- 
tee, or a dugong. 
In 1187, as we are told by Larrey in his Hist. d’ Angleterre, a 
mermaid was fished up in the county of Suffolk, and kept by the 
governor for six months. It bore so near a conformity with man, 
that nothing seemed wanting to it besides speech. 
In 1560, seven mermen and mermaids were caught by some fish- 
ermen near the island of Maner, on the western coast of Ceylon, 
and seen by several Jesuits, whose attestations may be found in the 
history of their society, (Part II. Vol’ IV. No. 276.) 
But amongst the numerous instances which have been thought 
worthy of preservation, the following is perhaps the most singular 
in its details :— 
“« The history of the Netherlands relates, that in the year 1430, 
after a great inundation, some women of the town of Edam, situat- 
ed on the sea of Zealand, at the extremity of the little river Tye, 
going from their town in a boat to Prumeraude, where their cows 
were feeding, found in their way a sea-girl half buried m the mud ; © 
that they took her up, washed her, cleaned her, and took her to 
Edam, where they clothed her. The history adds, that they taught 
this girl to spin, and to make the sign of the cross, but that they 
could never teach her to pronounce one word, though they had ta- 
ken her to Haerlem, where some literati attempted to make her 
speak. She was entirely like to our women, except in a very few 
particulars. She retained a great love for the sea, and even for 
the waters of rivers and canals, so that they were obliged to watch 
her lest she should throw herself into them, as she had several 
times attempted.” * | 
The sirens of the ancient poets have by many been confounded 
* Maillet’s Felliamed. 
