^64 ;^HE SEA SERFEKT. 



# 

 ^he Sea Serpent *. 



JL HIS hideous animal may be referred to the genus of 

 eels, which in its external figure, it nearly refembles. It 

 is generally about five feet in length, flender, and al- 

 moft entirely of the fame thicknefs, till near the tail, 

 where it tapers off in a fmall point. The upper part of 

 the body is of a dirty yellow, the under, bright blue. 

 The fnout is long, {lender, and prominent, divided by a 

 frightful moulh ; armed on the inner parts with fiuaU 

 teeth, eight or nine of a larger fize being placed before, 

 and on the middle of the palate. The eyes are fmall, of 

 an obiong Ihape, placed obliquely in the diredlion of the 

 body i the irides of a gold colour, interfperfed with 

 brovvn fpots. This fpecies has only two pair of fins, in- 

 ferie j near the gills, and flrengthened by fixteen cartila- 

 ginous rays. There are two fpotted lines, arifing from 

 a common point on the back part of the head, and ftrctch- 

 ing in a parallel direflion along the fides, till they ter- 

 minate about two inches from the extremity of the tail. 

 The tail is not comprelTed as in the eels, but round, -ant! 

 fimbriated, with no fins ; neither the anal nor dorfal reach- 

 ing to its extremity f . 



There are feveral other kinds of fea-ferpents, fome 

 fpotted, and others I'ed ; but as thefe are moftly foreign 



fillies, 



* Serpens Matinus. Rondel. Sea ferpcnt, Will. I07.. 

 I "^i Hough, page 108. 



