CURIOUS CREATURES. 277 



" ROYAL YACHT OSSORNE, GIBRALTAR, 

 June 6, 1877. 



" On the evening of that day (June 2), the sea being 

 perfectly smooth, my attention was first called by seeing 

 a ridge of fins above the surface of the water extending 

 about thirty feet, and varying from five to six feet in 

 height. On inspecting it by means of a telescope, at 

 about one and a half cable's distance, I distinctly saw a 

 head, two flappers, and about thirty feet of an animal's 

 shoulder. 



" The head, as nearly as I could judge, was about six 

 feet thick, the neck narrower, about four or five feet, 

 the shoulder about fifteen feet across, and the flappers 

 each about fifteen feet in length. The movements of 

 the flappers were those of a turtle, and the animal re- 

 sembled a huge seal, the resemblance being strongest 

 about the back of the head. I could not see the length 

 of the head, but from its crown or top to just below 

 the shoulder (where it became immersed) I should reckon 

 about fifty feet. The tail end I did not see, being under 

 water, unless the ridge of fins to which my atten- 

 tion was first attracted, and which had disappeared by 

 the time I got a telescope, were really the continuation 

 of the shoulder to the end of the object's body. The 

 animal's head was not always above water, but was 

 thrown upwards, remaining above for a few seconds at 

 a time, and then disappearing. There was an entire 

 absence of ' blowing ' or ' spouting.' " 



I think the verdict may be given that its existence, 

 although belonging to "Curious Zoology," is not impos- 

 sible, and can hardly be branded as a falsehood. 



