"Ned," said I, "I don't believe this is a bird."
"Well, then, it's a fish," said Ned, who had gone back to his case and was setting type. "They stuff fishes, as well as birds."
"But it seems to me it can hardly be a fish," said I, after another look.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't see any fins."
"That's nothing," said Ned. "My book of natural history says a fish's tail is a big fin. And I'm sure that fellow has tail enough to get along very well without any other fins."
This did not satisfy me, and at length we agreed to go and consult Jack-in-the-Box about it.
"Jack," said Ned, as soon as we arrived at the Box, "did you ever stuff a fish?"
"Do you take me for a cook?" said Jack, looking considerably puzzled.
"I don't mean a fish to bake," said Ned. "I mean one to be put in a glass case, and kept in a museum."