Few eyes have escaped the Picture of _Mermaids_: that is, according to _Horace_ his Monster, with womans head above, and fishy extremity below; and these are conceived to answer the shape of the ancient _Syrens_ that attempted upon _Ulysses_. Which notwithstanding were of another description, containing no fishy composure, but made up of Man and Bird; the humane mediety variously placed not only above, but below; according unto _Ælian_, _Suidas_, _Servius_, _Boccatius_, and _Aldrovandus_, who hath referred their description unto the story of fabulous Birds; according to the description of Ovid, and the account thereof in Hyginus, that they were the daughters of _Melpomene_, and metamorphosed into the shape of man and bird by _Ceres_. And therefore these pieces so common among us, do rather derive their original, or are indeed the very description of _Dagon_[SN: _Dagon the Idol, of what form._]; which was made with human figure above, and fishy shape below; whose stump, or as _Tremellius_ and our margin renders it, whose fishy part only remained, when the hands and upper part fell before the Ark. [SN: 1 Sam. 5.] Of the shape of _Artergates_, or _Derceto_ with the _Phœnitians_; in whose fishy and feminine mixture, as some conceive, were implied the Moon and the Sea, or the Deity of the waters; and therefore, in their sacrifices, they made oblations of fishes. From whence were probably occasioned the Pictures of _Nereides_ and _Tritons_ among the _Grecians_, and such as we read in _Macrobius_, to have been placed on the top of the Temple of _Saturn_. We are unwilling to question the Royal Supporters of _England_, that is, the approved descriptions of the Lion and the Unicorn. Although, if in the Lion, the position of the pizel be proper, and that the natural situation; it will be hard to make out their retro-copulation, or their coupling and pissing backward, according to the determination of _Aristotle_; All that urine backward do copulate πυγηδὸν _clunatim_, or aversly, as Lions, Hares, Linxes. As for the Unicorn, if it have the head of a Deer, and the tail of a Boar, as _Vartomannus_ describeth it, how agreeable it is to this picture every eye may discern. If it be made bisulcous or cloven footed, it agreeth unto the description of _Vartommanus_, but scarce of any other; and _Aristotle_ supposeth that such as divide the hoof, do also double the horn; they being both of the same nature, and admitting division together. And lastly if the horn have this situation and be so forwardly affixed, as is described, it will not be easily conceived, how it can feed from the ground; and therefore we observe, that Nature in other cornigerous animals, hath placed the horns higher and reclining, as in Bucks; in some inverted upwards, as in the Rhinoceros, the _Indian_ Ass, and Unicornous Beetles; and thus have some affirmed it is seated in this animal.