LIFE IN THE GREAT DEPTHS 117 



and floating with its huge roots projecting 

 from the water, thus giving the appearance of 

 a snake-like head and a neck covered with a 

 huge, saw-like crest. 



To scoff at any tale of things with which 

 we are unfamiliar or to set down as lies or 

 imagination stories of sea-serpents, merely be- 

 cause we have not actually proved their exist- 

 ence, is very foolish. 



For centuries the old Norse stories of the 

 "Kraken" were considered as fabulous as the 

 tales of the Phoenix, Centaur or other similar 

 beings, but we now know that the "Kraken" 

 stories were founded on facts and that the old 

 Norsemen had good reason to tell their tales 

 of the strange sea-monsters. It was accident 

 that first proved the existence of the "Kraken" 

 when, after a heavy storm, a gigantic sea-mon- 

 ster was washed upon the shores of New- 

 foundland. Descriptions of this creature and 

 portions of its anatomy were sent to Prof. A. 

 E. Verrill at Yale, who at once realised that 

 the strange monster was a gigantic squid or 

 cuttlefish. Later, others were cast upon the 

 shores or captured in a disabled or sick con- 



