Curious creatures in zoology (15544920976)

CURIOUS CREATURES. 249

Sir John Mandeville, speaking of the kingdom of Talo-

nach, says : " And that land hath a marvayle that is

in no other land, for all maner of fyshes of the sea

cometh there once a yeare, one after the other, and

lyeth him neere the lande, sometime on the lande, and

so lye three dayes, and men of that lande come thither

and take of them what he will, and then goe these

fyshes awaye, and another sort commeth, and lyeth also

three dayes and men take of them, and do thus all

maner of fyshes tyll all have bene there, and menne

have taken what they wyll. And men wot not the

cause why it is so. But they of that Countrey saye,

that those fyshes come so thyther to do worship to

theyr king, for they say he is the most worthiest king

of the worlde, for he hath so many wives, and geateth

so many children of them." (See next page.)

I know of no other fish of such an accommodating

nature, except it be those of whom Ser Marco Polo

speaks, when writing of Armenia: "There is in this

Country a certain Convent of Nuns called St. Leonard's,

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