354 GREAT SEA-SERPENT. 



tongue is white and forked, differing in respect of its 

 colour from the tongue of other Snakes which is generally 

 black. The two forks are retractile within the root, and 

 are covered with two horny sheaths which, during the 

 casting of the slough, can be drawn off like the scales of 

 the eyes. In some genera, as HydropJds, there are true 

 poison fangs, but of smah 1 size compared with the Colubri 

 and others ; others are innocuous as the Chersydrm, while 

 others (Pelamis) have two apertures at the base of the 

 two terminal palatine teeth, which may perhaps serve for 

 the exit of venom. Dr. Cantor says, in speaking of 

 marine serpents, (Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. iii. 

 p. 138.) that "all the species are, without exception, 

 highly venomous." Schlegel, also includes the Sea-snakes 

 in his second family of Venomous Serpents (page 184 of 

 his Physiognomy of Serpents). Captain Cook in one of 

 his Voyages "saw abundance of Water-snakes, one of 

 which was coming up the side of our ship, and our men 

 beat it off. The Spaniards say there is no cure for such 

 as are bit by them ; and one of our blacks happened to 

 fall under that misfortune, and died, notwithstanding the 

 utmost care was taken by our Surgeons to recover him." 

 In the Sooloo Seas, I have often witnessed the pheno- 

 menon which first gave origin to the marvellous stories 

 of the great Sea-serpent, namely lines of rolling porpoises, 

 resembling a long string of buoys, oftentimes extending 

 seventy, eighty, or a hundred yards. These constitute 

 the so-named protuberances of the monster's back, keep 

 in close single file, progressing rapidly along the calm 

 surface of the water, by a succession of leaps, or demi- 

 vaults forwards, part only of their uncouth forms appearing 

 to the eye. At the same moment of time, I have seen 



