is thus described:-  " There is another fish
bred in lakes, called macone, somewhat like a
lamprey with holes in the neck and in shape,
spotted like a water-snake. In summer when
the lakes are drie, he lies a spanne deep in
the earth with his taile in his mouth, which
he sucketh for his sustenance till the raynes
come, about three months. In this manner
he eates most of his taile, which grows againe
as before, at the return of the waters." The
same reverend traveller favours us with his
experiences in the matter of African
mermaids. He says: "Five leagues from Sofula
are the Isles Boçicas towards the south, in
which sea are many women fishes, which the
people take with great hookes and lines, with
chaines of iron made for the purpose; and of
the flesh thereof they hang, and smoke it as
it were bacon. The flesh is good and fat, of
which we have oft eaten, sodden with
cabbages " (sirèue aux choux! ) " and dressed with
its own sawce. From the belly to the neck it
is very like a woman; the female nourisheth
her young with her breasts which are like a
woman's. From the belly downwards it hath
a thick and long taile with finnes like a
dolphin; the skinne white on the belly, on the
backe rougher than a dolphin's. It hath
arms ending from the elbowes in finnes, and
hath no hands. The face is plaine, round,
deformed, bigger than a man's without
human semblance, wide- mouthed, thick
hanging lips as a hound, foure teeth
hanging out almost a span, like the tusks
of a Boare; their nostrils are like a calfe.";
Here again the seal has done duty for the
siren.

Linschoten, a Dutchman, tells of a strange
Indian fish, caught in the river of Goa, " the
picture whereof, by commandement of the
archbishop of that citie was painted, and for
a wonder sent to the King of Spaine." He
says: " It was in bignesse as great as a
middle-sized dog, with a snout like a hog, small
eyes, no eares, but two holes where his eares
should bee; it had foure feete like an elephant,
the tayle beginning somewhat upon the backe,
broad and then flat, and at the very end round
and somewhat sharpe. It ranne along the
hall upon the floore, and in every place of the
house snorting like a hog. The whole bodie,
head, tayle, and legs, being covered with scales
of a thumbe breadth, harder than iron or
steele. We hewed and laid upon them with
weapons, as if men should beate upon an
anvill, and when we strooke upon him, he
rouled himself in a heape, head and feet
together, so that he lay like a round ball, we
not being able to judge where he closed
himself together, neyther could we with any
instrument or strength of hands open him
againe, but letting him alone and not touching
him, he opened himself and ranne away,
as I said before."

The clerical Viceroy of Goa had a great
desire to perpetuate the resemblance of all
the odd fish that came within his cognisance.

Here is another instance. "A ship sayling
from Mosambique into India, having faire
weather, a good sure winde, as much as the
sayles might beare before the winde for the
space of fourteen dayes together, directing
their course towards the Equinoctiall line,
every day as they took the height of the sunne,
instead of diminishing or lessening their
degrees, according to the winde and course they
had and helde, they found themselves still
contrarie, and every day further backwards
than they were. At the last the chief boteson,
whom they call the master's-mate, looking
by chance over-board towards the beake-head
of the ship, he espied a great broad
taile of a fish that had winded itself as it
were about the beake-head, the body thereof
being under the keele, and the head under
the rudder, swimming in that manner, and
drawing the shippe with her against the
winde and their right course: whereby
presently they know the cause of their so going
backwards; so that having at the last stricken
long with staves and other weapons upon the
fishes tayle, in the end they stroke it off, and
thereby the fish left the ship, after it had
layen fourteene dayes under the same,
drawing the ship with it against winde and
weather: for which cause the Viceroy in Goa
caused it to be painted in his palace for a
perpetuall memory, wher I (Linschoten) have
often reade it, with the day and time, and
the name both of the ship and captain." This
verification is about as valuable as the
attestation of the five justices whose signature,
Autolycus swore, was attached to the pitiful
ballad " which was sung by a fish that appeared
upon the coast" (appropriately of Bohemia),
"on Wednesday the fourscore of April,
forty thousand fathom above water, against
the hard heart of maids." Singing fish
are not spoken of, however, by naturalists
in general, though one Mark Escarbot, sailing
between Port Royal and Saint Croix,
affirms that he and his companions, " did
often heare seale's voyces, which were verie
like the voyce of Owles," that is to
say, excessively melodious and delightful
to hear.

But, besides the Echeneis, or Stay-ship,
strong fish are frequently met with. " Statius
Sebosus," so Pliny writes, " reporteth
that in the river Ganges be certaine wormes
or serpents, with two finnes of a side, sixty
cubits long, of colour blew, and of that
hew they take their name- and be called
Cynocides. He saith, moreover, that they
be so strong, that when the elephants
come into the river for drinke, they catch
fast hold by the trunckes or muzzles, and
maugre their hearts force them down under
the water: of such power and force they
are."

Captain Cuttle may probably have made a
note of the family to which the fish here
described belongs: " In the Ocean of Gudes,
between Portugall and Andalusia, there is a