SWIlSmiNG ANIMALS 107 



more than a foot in body length, but there are some species 

 living out in the deep oceans that are veritable giants of their 

 kind. These monsters may have bodies several feet in 

 length and tentacles thirty or forty-feet long. To add to 

 their horror each of the powerful suckers ranged along 

 the tentacles is armed with a cruel hook, which can tear 

 the flesh of any prey on to which it fastens. These huge 

 squids, which live in the dimly-lit layers that overlie the 

 cold, black abyss are very rarely seen, and still more rarely 

 caught. But we can catch them indirectly, for it is on 

 these that the Sperm whales feed, and in the stomachs of 

 the whales can be found many remains of these squid, 

 especially the hard, chitinous, beak-like jaws. 



Sea Serpents 



If the sea serpent really exists surely it can be safely 

 classed as a swimming animal ! It is fitting then to con- 

 clude this chapter with a few w^ords about this interesting 

 beast. 



We can safely say that nearly all the accounts that have 

 been given about sea serpents have been due to mistaken 

 identity. The giant squids mentioned above are probably 

 the main cause of many of the stories that have arisen. 

 These monsters are known at times to come to the surface. 

 What more like a serpent than one of these wriggling arms, 

 thirty feet in length, writhing one moment on the sea surface, 

 and the next raised aloft far out of the water. In many 

 descriptions the serpent has been said to have been spouting 

 water, an act quite to be expected of a squid. 



Other objects that have been suggested to have given 

 the appearance of a serpent are many and varied. Amongst 

 these are a string of porpoises, two Basking sharks (it is a 

 common habit for these sharks to swim in pairs one behind 



