"She sits on her tail, as all the very best mermaids do, beneath a glass case, goggling with stark, fishy eyes at the many visitors who pilgrimage to see her. The story of the mermaid is a romance. Her birthplace was the West Coast of Africa, but nobody knows how long she has been in London or who brought her here. Two doctors who examined her were completely puzzled. The figure, wizened dry like a mummy, is about 16 inches long, with a female form from the waist up, and below an excellent fish tail. The baby skull is grinning grotesquely, disclosing twenty-five tiny teeth."
Reference:
- Dance, Peter. Animal Fakes & Frauds. Sampson Low. Berkshire. 1976. Pg. 56.