▁( M alm ö , ▁Sweden ). ▁The ▁information ▁was ▁convey ed ▁through ▁some ▁inter medi ary ▁German ▁source . ▁▁ ▁Bel on ▁( 1 5 5 5 ) ▁in ▁his ▁French ▁edition ▁about ▁the ▁mon k - fish ▁also ▁class ed ▁the ▁mon k - fish ▁as ▁a ▁m erman ▁( ), ▁and ▁g arn ished ▁his ▁comment ary ▁with ▁mention ▁of ▁mer folk ▁from ▁ancient ▁writ ings , ▁specifically ▁sir ens , ▁tr it ons , ▁na i ads , ▁and ▁n ere ids . ▁Bel on , ▁according ▁to ▁Ste en stru p ' s ▁assess ment , ▁had ▁faith ▁in ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁this ▁sea ▁mon k ▁without ▁ever ▁having ▁seen ▁one . ▁Bel on ▁attributed ▁these ▁curios ities ▁to ▁" play ful ness ▁of ▁Nature ". ▁ ▁The ▁fourth ▁volume ▁of ▁Con rad ▁Ges ner ' s ▁famous ▁Historia ▁Animal ium ▁described ▁it , ▁and ▁although ▁much ▁of ▁Ges ner ' s ▁piece ▁was ▁derivative ▁or ▁even ▁wh oles ale ▁copying ▁from ▁his ▁prede cess ors , ▁Bel on ▁and ▁Ron de let , ▁he ▁app ended ▁a ▁coll ol arium ▁section ▁containing ▁his ▁own ▁find ings ▁and ▁observations . ▁As ▁to ▁the ▁creature ▁that ▁measured ▁ 4 ▁cub its , ▁Ges ner ▁added ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁black ▁face ▁like ▁an ▁Eth iop ian , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁German ▁rh yme . ▁Ges ner ▁here ▁quoted ▁Albert us ▁Magn us ' s ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁mon ach us ▁mar is . ▁He ▁also ▁mentioned ▁a ▁similar ▁mon