THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



form and size. I mention my friend being a por- 

 poise shooter, as many have believed that a shoal 

 of porpoises following each other has given rise to 

 the fable, as they called it, of the sea-serpent."* 



A writer in The Times of November 2, 1848, 

 under the signature of "P. Gr. S.," also suggested 

 affinity with the KnnUosnuri, and particularly 

 adduced the fossil genus Plesioaaurus as present- 

 ing the closest resemblance. "One of the greatest 

 difficulties," observes this writer, "on the face of 

 the narrative [of Captain M'Quhae], and which 

 must be allowed to destroy the analogy of the 

 motions of the so-called sea-serpent' with those of 

 all known snakes and anguilliform fishes, is that 

 no less than sixty feet of the animal were seen 

 advancing 11 fieur d'enn at the rate of from twelve 

 to fifteen miles an hour, without it being possible 

 to perceive, upon the closest and most attentive 

 inspection, any undulatory motion to which its 

 rapid advance could be ascribed. It need scarcely 

 be observed that neither an eel nor a snake, if 

 either of those animals could swim at all with the 

 neck elevated, could do so without the front part 

 of its body being thrown into undulation by the 

 propulsive efforts of its tail." 



He then inquires to what class of animals it 

 could have belonged, and thus proceeds: — 



"From the known anatomical character of the 

 Plesiosauri, derived from the examination of their 

 organic remains, geologists are agreed in the in- 

 ference that those animals carried their necks 

 (which must have resembled the bodies of ser- 

 pents) above the water, while their progression 

 was effected by large paddles working beneath — 

 the short but stout tail acting the part of a rud- 

 der. It would be superfluous to point out how 

 * Illustrated London News, Oct. 28, 1848. 

 301 



