THE GREAT UNKNOWN. 



mals is a lengthening and thickening of the hair 

 on the occiput and on the neck, just as in the 

 lion. But the "serpent's"' mane was not there, 

 but "perhaps twenty feet in the rear of the head," 

 says Lieutenant Drummond ; it "washed about its 

 back," says Captain M'Quhae. 



I do not hesitate to say, therefore, that on data 

 we at present possess the seal hypothesis appears 

 to me quite untenable. 



It is by no means impossible that the creature 

 may prove to belong to the Ceiacea or whale 

 tribe. I know of no reason why a slender and 

 lengthened form should not exist in this order. 

 The testimony of Colonel Steele, who represents 

 his animal as spouting, points in this direction. 



As to its place among Fishes, Dr. Mantell and 

 Mr. Melville* consider that the Dmhihis animal 

 may have been one of the sharks; and there is no 

 doubt that the celebrated Stronsa animal, which 

 was considered by Dr. Barclay as the Norwegian 

 sea-serpent, was really the Selache maxima or 

 basking shark. But the identification of Captain 

 M'Quhae's figure and description with a shark is 

 preposterous. 



There are, however, the ribbon-fishes ; and some 

 of these, as the hair- tail, the Yaegmaer, and the 

 Gymnetrus, are of large size, and slender sword- 

 like form. Several kinds have been found in the 

 North Atlantic, and wherever seen they invariably 

 excite wonder and curiosity. All of these are 

 furnished with a back-fin; but in other respects 

 they little correspond with the descriptions of the 

 animal in question. One of their most striking 

 characteristics, moreover, is, that their surface 

 resembles polished steel or silver. 



A far greater probability exists, that there may 



* See Zoologist, p. 2310. 

 331 



