Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

An animal or fish answering the description of a mermaid, has just been carried into New York, from the river Amazon, where it was caught. It is now for exhibition in that city. A naturalist who examined it, says it is an exceedingly timid and inoffensive animal, and soon abandons places frequented by man. It feeds on aquatic plants exclusively, and sleeps in shallow streams, with its head out of water. The flesh is highly esteemed, resembling veal in its flavor. The female brings forth two at birth. It seems very imperfectly, but the defect is amply compensated by the extreme acuteness of its hearing. It has teats on its breasts. It is between four and five feet long, and so gentle as to take food such as hay, straw, grass and other vegetables from the hand. In seizing its food it uses both its hands, also its curiously shaped extensible under lip, its body terminates in a broad rounded tail or fin, and is covered thinly with short hairs.
Philadelphia American.