head, and he had a meagre face, with a black beard; about the body
downwards this merman was quite pointed like a fish."[95]

But the most remarkable story that I know of in recent times, is that
adduced by Dr Robert Hamilton, in his able History of the Whales and
Seals, in the _Naturalist's Library_, he himself vouching for its
general truth, from personal knowledge of some of the parties: "It was
reported that a fishing-boat, off the island of Yell, one of the
Shetland group, had captured a mermaid by its getting entangled in the
lines!! The statement is, that the animal was about three feet long, the
upper part of the body resembling the human, with protuberant mammae like
a woman; the face, the forehead, and neck, were short and resembling
those of a monkey; the arms, which were small, were kept folded across
the breast; the fingers were distinct, not webbed; a few stiff long
bristles were on the top of the head, extending down to the shoulders,
and these it could erect and depress at pleasure, something like a
crest. The inferior part of the body was like a fish. The skin was
smooth, and of a grey colour. It offered no resistance, nor attempted to
bite, but uttered a low plaintive sound. The crew, six in number, took
it within their boat, but superstition getting the better of curiosity,
they carefully disentangled it from the lines, and a hook which had
accidentally fastened in its body, and returned it to its native
element. It instantly dived, descending in a perpendicular direction.

"After writing the above, (we are informed) the narrator had an
interview with the skipper of the boat and one of the crew, from whom he
learned the following additional particulars. They had the animal for
three hours within the boat; the body was without scales or hair; was of
a silvery grey colour above, and white below, like the human skin; no
gills were observed; nor fins on the back or belly. The tail was like
that of the dog-fish: the mammae were about as large as those of a woman;
the mouth and lips were very distinct, and resembled the human.

"This communication was from Mr Edmonston, a well-known and intelligent
observer, to the distinguished Professor of Natural History in the
Edinburgh University, and Mr E. adds a few reflections, which are so
pertinent, that we shall avail ourselves of them. That a very peculiar
animal has been taken, no one can doubt. It was seen and handled by six
men, on one occasion, and for so