THE SEA-SERPENTS OF SCIENCE. 119 



less skin, the rounded head, and, lastly, the two great 

 side (or pectoral) fins, each measuring many feet in length, 

 all form so many details corresponding exactly to the 

 appearance of a great tape-fish. I offer these observations 

 with the view of showing that, given a recital founded, 

 as I believe the present narrative to be, on fact, we possess 

 in the lists of living and of well-known animals adequate 

 representatives of the ' great unknown.' " 



The imperfect view obtained of the body renders the 

 expression contained in the report, that the body was " like 

 that of a gigantic turtle," somewhat problematical as to its 

 correctness; and in the absence of more defined informa- 

 tion, does not necessarily invalidate the views expressed 

 above as to the personality of this strange tenant of the 

 Mediterranean Sea. 



In an article entitled "Strange Sea Creatures," which 

 appeared in the Gentlemari s Magazine for March, 1877, Mr. 

 R. A. Proctor, speaking of my views regarding the sea- 

 serpent, remarks that I offer "as an alternative only the 

 ribbon-fish." This observation being hardly correct, I may 

 point out that in the article in Good Words, from which 

 Mr. Proctor quotes my views, I distinctly refer to the pro- 

 bability of giant sea-snakes being occasionally developed 

 and appearing as the modern sea-serpent. The use of the 

 word "only" in Mr. Proctor's remark is misleading; since I 

 offer the ribbon-fishes simply as explanatory of certain sea- 

 serpent narratives, and not as a sole and universal repre- 

 sentative of the modern leviathan. 



Thus, then, with the ribbon-fishes at hand, and with the 

 clear proofs before us that these and other animals may 

 be developed to a size which, compared with their ordinary 

 dimensions, we can only term enormous, I think the true 

 and valid explanation of the sea-serpent question is neither 

 far to seek nor difficult to find. To objectors of a practical 

 turn of mind, who may remind me that we have not yet 

 procured even a single bone of a giant serpent, I would point 

 out that I by no means maintain the frequent development 



