326 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF. 



" We, the undersigned, saw the Moha-Moha (as described by Miss Lovell) making for the 

 shore of Sandy Cape on June 8th, 1890: 



"James Alsbury, ist assistant, Sandy Cape Lighthouse. 

 " William H. Lees, 3rd assistant, Sandy Cape Lighthouse. 

 " Mrs. Lees. 

 " Donald Henderson. 



" Jemima Alsbury ^ 



^ daughters of James Alsbury.' 

 " Jessie Alsbury ) 



Robert, the black boy, sets his " mark " against it, it having been seen by him on the shore 

 on the previous Monday. The two girls, Jemima and Jessie Alsbury, and the black boy, were 

 present on the shore, having gone down there previously, when Miss Lovell interviewed the 

 monster, the former, as mentioned in the narrative, addressing to her a pertinent question 

 concerning the contour of the creature's tail. 



Concerning the Barrier Reef " sea-serpent," it is desirable to mention that full publicity was 

 given to Miss Lovell's narrative in the contemporary newspapers, and that a somewhat distorted 

 drawing and description of the animal appeared in Laud and Water oi January 3rd, 1891. 

 In commenting on it, the Editor suggests that the creature seen was probably " the 

 Carettochelys, a monster turtle known to exist at the mouth of the Fly River, New Guinea." 



On referring to the original account of this New Guinea chelonian, recorded by Dr. E. P. 

 Ramsay in the Proceedings of the Linneean Society of New South Wales for the year 1886, 

 the author finds that, while possessing certain peculiar anatomical features, it exhibits no 

 excess in size that indicates its affinity with Miss Lovell's species. The dimensions of 

 Carettochelys insculptus, as given by Dr. Ramsa}', are, in point of fact, considerably smaller 

 than those of an ordinary turtle, its total length not exceeding thirty inches. 



In a later issue of Laud aud Water, April 25th, 1891, a correction of the previous de- 

 scription, with additional details of the monster, is contributed by Miss Lovell. This latter is 

 supplemented by a further editorial comment, in which reference is made to "a large and fierce 

 variety of turtle belonging to the genus ' Triolix,' which is well-known to inhabit Queensland, 

 and to occasionally attack men." The possibility of Miss Lovell's Moha-Moha being a species 

 of " Triolix " is suggested in association with this editorial criticism. The author has been 

 unable to find any such generic name authentically employed in chelonian terminology, but 

 anticipates the word is a misprint for Trionyx. Chelonia of other genera (Chelodina and 

 Emydura) occur in the fresh waters ot Australia. While these may be long necked (ex. Chelodina 

 longicollis), they are by no means of large size, and, though exhibiting a certain amount of 

 defensive pugnacity when captured, they can scarcely be styled ferocious, man-attacking species. 



Among independent testimony concerning the apparent existence of a gigantic long-necked 

 chelonian in Australian waters, the author mav mention that his attention has been directed by 



