Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-11-24
The Man With a Mermaid,
A STRANGE CREATURE, HALF WOMAN AND HALF
FISH.

A reporter of the st. Louis Globe. Demo.
crat recently called upon Mr.. Chas. DOYLE of
San francisco, now stopping in St. Louis,
10 view his collection of rare things brought
from Japan. The reporter says: But these
lost all interest TO the reporter when a
long, deep glass case, in the shape of an
aquarium, was exhibited, which held the
most curious and the rarest of all the OBJ.
Jects IN the collection. 1t was wonderful.
looking thing, almost hideous to look upon
but possessing a powerful attraction for the
beholder, owing to the queer amalgama.
ton of species displayed in its formation.
Those who have seen the old.time geogra.
ply illustration, which has recently been
used as a trademark for a certain patent
hair restorative and which represents the
mermaid rising from the sea and combinp
her long locks with one hand while in the
other she holds a small looking glass, can
recall this picture and thereby form an
idea OF what the present monstrosty looks
like, barring, however, the beauty, which
Is distinguishing trait of the ideal mer.
maid. Mr.. Doyle's strange curiosity is half
human, half fish. The head, chest, abdo.
men and arms are Enthusiastically human.
but from the abdomen down the creature
is fish, scaly, tinny and.formed liked the
eXtremities of a dweller in the water. The
arms are covered with scales to the wrist.
and the backs of the small hands have the
same scaly covering to the finger tips. The
head is small as that of baby, but is per.
feet in every detail, the forehead does not
recede, but is high and straight and is of
the class that indicates an unusual degree
OF intelligence. The eyes are soft, swim.
my and lghtless, as those of a fish; but
mo h. Il,
all the other features, are pronounced
human, regular, clear cut, and as perfect as
beautiful woman's face. light covering
of brown hair, several inches in length,
and eyebrows of the same color, are the
only hlrsute appendages. The spinal col
umn IS clearly seen running up to the base
of the skull and falling down the back
until it is lost in the tishy extremity. Ten
ribs are easily counted upon the breast, and
the mammalian female development for feed.
ing the young is readily discernible. The
mermaid measures almost three feet from
the crown of the head to the extremity of
the caudal fin, and is said to be larger than
the only other specimen of the kind ever
seen In this country. The other mermaid
IS now on exhibition in the New York
Aquarium, and attracts vast amount of
attention from scientists as well as from
the general public
Mr.. Doyle is very proud of his mermaid,
and although great many attempts have
been made to induce him to sell the
curious creature, he has thus far refused to
part with her. He says the monstrosity
has been subjected to the closest scrutiny
by scientists OF the Pacific slope, all Of
whom have pronounced her the most won.
deriul natural phenomenon ever brought
to their notice and have cOncurred in de.
clarlng mermaids no longer myths. The
curiosity was captured two years ago by
three fishermen, near UriShaba, in the
great inland sea. They had seen her MANY
times and had made many attempts to cap.
ture her, and succeeded in taking her only
after the most persistent efforts When
taken she was placed in the museum at
Toxic and remained there for a year and a
halt. She had been heard by the fisher.
men to sing a peculiar song while on the
rocks, but never spoke, except to feeby
try to articulate, after her capture. She
was fed on Il peculiar seaweed, the secret of
which Is known only to the Japanese, and
thrlved under the great care taken of her.
Mr.. Doyle purchased her from the authori
ties OF Toxic at the extravagant figures of
1900 salts or dollars, The purchase was
made to satisfy sudden desire to possess
the strange creature, and Mr.. Doyle does
not know what special advantage he eniovs
IN being one Of the very few men who own
a mermaid.