210 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



about six years ago, by Dr. Harwood, the eminent Professor 

 of Zoology, in the Royal Institution of Great Britain ; and 

 which from its partial resemblance to the Ophidian reptiles, 

 and its large size, Dr. Harwood gave it the above name. 



The specimen in question was unknown to zoologists, and 

 was fortunately captured by Captain Sawyer, of the ship 

 Harmony of Hull, in Davis's Straits, when he was in pursuit 

 of the Delphinus Deductor (the bottle-nosed or Caaing whale). 

 It was discovered lying on the surface of the water, and was 

 at first supposed to be an inflated eel- skin, as employed by the 

 Esquimaux to attach to their harpoons, for the purpose of 

 wearing out the larger aquatic animals by its buoyant powers. 

 From its continued endeavours to apparently gorge a species 

 of perch, of greater circumference than itself, it was in a very 

 exhausted state ; and was easily taken. Captain Sawyer 

 brought home the animal preserved in rum. It measured 

 about four feet six inches in length, was very slender, and the 

 tail has a filamentous termination, occupying about twenty 

 inches of the entire length of the animal. The colour was a 

 purplish black, the filamentous portion of the tail being lighter 

 than the rest. From near the extremity of the snout, a sac 

 extends about twenty inches down the body : this appendage, 

 when partly inflated, is about nine inches in circumference, 

 and its greatest width, including the slender body of the 

 animal, is four inches ; its only use appears to be that of a 

 float. The animal has a single row of teeth above and be- 

 low, no teeth on the palatal bones, and is destitute of a 

 tongue. The jaws are so long, and their articulation of such 

 a nature, that their opening is wider than even that of the 

 rattlesnake. Of its habits, &c, nothing is known.* 



He was first seen on Saturday afternoon, passing between Egg Rock and 

 the Promontory, wending his away into Lynn Harbour, and again on Sunr 

 day morning, heading for South Shore. He was seen by forty or fifty 

 persons (ladies and gentlemen), who insist, that they could not have been 

 deceived. Extracted from the London " Times," August 1st. 1833. 



* I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Limbird, the Publisher of the 

 " Mirror," for the engraving winch illustrates this article. 



