1886.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 1G5 



The annual election resulted in the choice of the following 

 oflBcers for the coming year: 



President, J. S. Newberry. 



First Vice-President, 0. P. Hubbard. 



Second Vice-President, W. P. Trowbridge. 



Corresponding Secretary, A. K. Leeds. 



Recording Secretary, H. L. Fairchild. 



Treasurer, J. H. Hinton. 



Librarian, A. A. Julien. 



Councillors, J. A. Allen, P. H. Dudley, A. A. Julien, 

 D. S. Martin, J. J. Stevenson, C. Van Brunt. 



Curators, B. G. Amend, N. L. Britton, B. B. Chambek- 

 lin, 0. F. Cox, G. F. KuNZ. 



Finance Committee, L. E. Chittenden, Henry Dudley, 

 Thomas Egleston. 



Dr. J. B. Holder remarked upon 



THE occurrence OF A LARGE MARINE VERTEBRATE OF UN- 

 KNOWN FORM ON THE SHORE OF FLORIDA. 



Before proceeding to the description of the remains of this an- 

 imal, it may be well to briefly record in oiir proceedings the 

 several more important statements and facts in connection with 

 the subject of the so-called "sea-serpent." 



When Sir Charles Lyell asked Colonel Perkins, of Boston, 

 Mass., if he had heard of the " sea-serpent," he replied, " un- 

 fortnnately, I have seen it." His reply shows the effect of the 

 ridicule which has been showered upon the subject. But many 

 individuals of assured integrity and learning, who were fitted to 

 judge fairly and to describe accurately what they saw, have been 

 eye-witnesses and narrators touching this interesting theme. 

 Such testimony seems to establish the fact of the existence of 

 some marine creatures of unfamiliar form and unusual propor- 

 tions, which appear to be essentially different from any known 

 living species. 



There are on record several notable statements relating to the 

 occurrence of such animals off our North Atlantic coast. 



Without referring to the tales issued at each recurring season 

 from the newspaper press, and leaving aside several more or less 

 authentic statements from sea-faring people, both in this and 

 other countries, we may assume that a proper, truthful history of 

 this subject should be based upon the documentary evidence, 



