The Conservative

An Extraordinary Fish.

A French journal emulates Victor Hugo in the production of a fish story. The Pall Mall Gazette translates the item thus:

"The Courrier de Saigon reports some extraordinary items of natural history from the land of the Annamites. There is a certain fish called ca-ong in the language of the country which has distinguished itself to that degree that the King has bestowed upon it the proud title of Ham-hieng-buong-gnan, which, as everybody knows, means 'Great General of the South Sea.' It appears that this laudable fish is in the habit of quietly paddling around the ships near the coast, until somebody tumbles overboard. He then seizes him instantly, and instead of eating him, gently carries him in his mouth to the shore. At Wang-tau, near St. James Cape, they keep a skeleton of this extraordinary philanthropist. It is about thirty-five feet long, possesses front teeth like an elephant, very large eyes, a black skin very smooth, a tail like a lobster, and two wings on the back. Professor Owen ought to look out for a specimen of this young and tender brother of the sea serpent."