LIFE IN THE GREAT DEPTHS T13 



head, the high, serrated dorsal-fin and the 

 snake-like body are perfectly in accord with 

 the majority of descriptions of sea-serpents as 

 given by the most trustworthy observers. The 

 so-called "mane" is well represented in the 

 fleshy, ornamental appendages about the head 

 of the fish and the "saw-like crest" of the sea- 

 serpent has its counterpart in the stiff spines 

 and web of the fin along the back of the fish. 



In the Indian Ocean and other parts of the 

 world long, eel-like sharks occur, while in 

 other portions of the sea true snakes, which 

 are very venomous, are found in immense 

 numbers. These snakes are small, it is true, 

 but if we can imagine that related creatures 

 reach large size we can readily believe that 

 they might well be called sea-serpents. 



The belief in sea-serpents is very ancient 

 and it may be within the bounds of possibility 

 that early man was familiar with huge sea- 

 reptiles which have since become extinct or 

 nearly so. Virgil's story of Laocoon and his 

 sons being strangled by sea-snakes is a familiar 

 example of the world-wide belief in such crea- 

 tures> but it was not until 1755 that any ex- 



