WHALES — FISHES. SoS 



as the total lengtli drawn, well agrees;) and besides this, 

 at least an equal length of neck was exposed. 



But the great Plioca prohoscidea has no mane at all. 

 For this, we must have recourse to other species, known as 

 sea-lions. Two kinds are recognised under this name, 

 Otaria juhata and PlatyrJiynchus leoniniis ; though there 

 is some confusion in the names. Neither of these ever 

 exceeds sixteen feet in total length, of which, about five 

 feet would be the utmost that could project from the 

 water in swimming. Suppose, hov/ever, the eyes of the 

 gallant officers to have magnified the leonine seal to suffi- 

 cient dimensions ; I fear even then it will not do. For 

 the mane in these animals is a leno-thenino- and thickeninor 

 of the hair on the occiput and on the neck, just as in the 

 lion. But the "serpent's" mane was not there, but "per- 

 haps twenty feet in the rear of the head," says Lieutenant 

 Drummond; it ''washed about its back," says Captain 



M'Quh83. 



I do not hesitate to say, therefore, that on data we at 

 present possess the seal hypothesis appears to me quite 

 untenable. 



It is by no means impossible that the creature may 

 prove to belong to the Cetacea or whale tribe. I know of 

 no reason why a slender and lengthened form should not 

 exist in this order. The testimonv of Colonel Steele, who 

 represents his animal as spouting, j^oints in this direction. 



As to its place among Fishes, Dr Mantell and ^Mr 

 Melville* consider that the Dcedalus animal may have 



* See Zoologist, p. 2310. 



