120 LEISURE-TIME STUDIES. 



of such beings. The most I argue for and require is their 

 occasional production ; and I would also remind such ob- 

 jectors of the case of the giant cuttle-fishes which, until 

 within the past few years, remained in the same mysterious 

 seclusion affected at present by the great serpentine un- 

 known. I need only add that I have as firm faith in the 

 actual discovery of the giant serpent of the sea, as that in 

 the giant tape-fish we find its representative, or that in the 

 huge development of ordinary forms we discover the true 

 and natural law of its production. 



To sum up my arguments by way of conclusion, I respect- 

 fully submit, as does a pleading counsel to his jury, 



Firstly : That many of the tales of sea-serpents are 

 amply verified, when judged by the ordinary rules of 

 evidence ; this conclusion being especially supported by the 

 want of any primd facie reason for prevarication; 



Secondly : That, laying aside appearances which can 

 be proved to be deceptive and to be caused by inanimate 

 objects or by unusual attitudes on the part of familiar 

 animals, there remains a body of evidence only to be 

 explained on the hypothesis that certain gigantic marine 

 animals, at present unfamiliar or unknown to science, do 

 certainly exist ; and 



Thirdly : That the existence of such animals is a fact 

 perfectly consistent with scientific opinion and knowledge, 

 and is most readily explained by recognising the fact of the 

 occasional development of gigantic members of groups of 

 marine animals already familiar to the naturalist. 



Since the foregoing remarks were penned, details have 

 been published (Nature, February 21, 1878), respecting 

 " A New Underground Monster," which have a very decided 

 bearing on the sea-serpent question, as tending to show that 

 even in the land-fauna of remote districts, there may be 

 included animals of a size and nature utterly undreamt of 

 by the scientific world. The details alluded to are forwarded 

 by the well-known naturalist Fritz Miiller, and are related of 



