THE GREAT SEA SERPENT. 403 



of course looks, to a person who has never heard of an 

 animal going tail first at such a speed, like the creature's 

 head. The appearance of this " head " varies in accordance 

 with the lateral fins being seen in profile or in broad 

 expanse. The elongated, tubular-looking body gives the 

 idea of the neck to which the " head " is attached ; the 

 eight arms trailing behind (the tentacles are always coiled 

 away and concealed) supply the supposed mane floating 

 on each side ; the undulating motion in swimming, as the 

 water is alternately drawn in and expelled, accords with 

 the description, and the excurrent stream pouring aft from 

 the locomotor tube, causes a long swirl and swell to be left 

 in the animal's wake, which, as I have often seen, may 

 easily be mistaken for an indefinite prolongation of its 

 body. The eyes are very large and prominent, and the 

 general tone of colour varies through every tint of brown, 

 purple, pink, and grey, as the creature is more or less 

 excited, and the pigmentary matter circulates with more or 

 less vigour through the curiously moving cells. 



Here we have the " long marine animal " with " two fins 

 on the forepart of the body near the head," the " boiling of 

 the water," the " moving in undulations," the " body round 

 and of a dark colour," the " waving motion in the water 

 behind the animal, from which the witnesses concluded 

 that part of the body was concealed under water," the 

 " head raised, but the lower part not visible," " the sharp 

 snout," the " smooth skin," and the appearance described 

 by Mr. William Knudtzon, and Candidatus Theologian 

 Bochlum, of " the head being long and small in proportion 

 to the throat, the latter appearing much greater than the 

 former," which caused them to think "it was probably 

 furnished with a mane." Not that they saw any mane, but 

 as they had been told of it, they thought they ought to have 

 seen it. Less careful and conscientious persons would have 



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