A SERPENT IN THE ATLANTIC. 355 



The marine habit presents no difficulty. For, in the 

 Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are numerous species 

 of true snakes {Hydrophidce), which are exchisively in- 

 habitants of the sea. They are reported to remain much 

 at the surface, and even to sleep so soundly there that 

 the passing of a ship through a group sometimes fails 

 to awaken them. 



None of these are known to exceed a few feet in length, 

 and, so far as we know, none of them have been found 

 in the Atlantic. It is remarkable, however, that a record 

 exists of a serpent having been seen in the very midst of 

 the North Atlantic. The Zoolorjist (p. 1911) has pub- 

 lished a communication signed, " S. H. Saxby, Bon- 

 church, Isle of Wioht," containincr an extract from the 

 log-book of a very near relative, dated August 1, 1786, on 

 board the shi]^ General Coole, in latitude 42° 44' N., 

 and lono-itude 23° 10' W. ; that is, a little to the north- 

 east of the Azores. It is as follows : — " A very large 

 snake passed the ship : it appeared to be about sixteen or 

 eio'hteen feet in lenoth, and three or four feet in circum- 

 ference ; the back of a lightish colour, and the belly thereof 

 yellow." According to the log, the shijD was becalmed at 

 the time. Mr Saxby vouches for the correctness of the 

 statement, and adds, that any one is welcome to see the 

 original record. It augments very considerably the value 

 of this incident, that no suggestion of identity with the 

 Norwegian dragon appears to have occurred to the ob- 

 server : he speaks of it as " a snake," and nothing more ; 

 the dimensions alone appear to have excited surprise, 



