'THE GREAT SEA SERPENT' 263 



example, that curious anomaly, the mud-fish of the Gambia, 

 Lepidosiren, referred to in the last chapter, and which, to look 

 at, is as much like a lizard as a fish, with its four singular 

 appendages where either legs or fins might be. Again, w^e 

 have that paradox in nature — bird, reptile, and quadruped 

 combined — in the Australian Platypus, a semi-aquatic animal. 

 * These two fresh-water animals are,' says Darwin, ' among the 

 most anomalous forms now found in the world ; and like 

 fossils, they connect, to a certain extent, orders at present 

 widely sundered in the natural scale.' ^ Other equally re- 

 markable links between the various groups might be cited to 

 prepare us for any marine anomalies which may hereafter 

 surprise us. Taking into consideration, also, that many of 

 our smaller aquatic animals have their representatives on a 

 huge scale in the ocean, why should there not be gigantic 

 ophidian forms to correspond with the terrestrial pythons 

 and anacondas } As in point of size salt-water fishes exceed 

 those of our rivers, and as the enormous marine mammalia 

 exceed those on land, we might the rather wonder if there w^ere 

 not one * great sea serpent,' but many unsuspected species of 

 reptiles, compound ophiosaurians, or saurophidians, or who 

 shall say what, in those inaccessible depths. 



' How is it none have ever been captured } ' it is asked. 

 In reply. Has any one ever captured a swiftly-retreating 

 land snake escaping pursuit } Who can overtake or circum- 

 vent it when in its tropical vigour 1 And how vastly must 

 the powers and swiftness of those immense pelagians exceed 

 the kinds with which we are familiar ! ' Then, Why have 

 no bones been found } ' Mr. Bartlett's reason is one of 



1 Origin of Spccu's, 6th ed. 1872, p. ^l- 



