3522 The Zoologist— May, 1873. 



at about the same distance, and when we were again becalmed 

 nearly in the same place, we agreed that it went quite twice as fast 

 as the steamer, and we thought that its rate could not be less than ten 

 or twelve miles an hour. It might be shot, but would probably sink. 

 There are three accounts of its being shot at .in Norway ; in one 

 instance it sank, and in the other two it pursued the boats, which 

 were near the shore, but disappeared when it found itself getting 

 into shallow water. 



It should be mentioned that when we saw this creature and made 

 our sketches of it we had never seen either Pontoppidan's ' Natural 

 History' or his print of the Norwegian sea-serpent, which has 

 a most striking resemblance to the first of our own sketches. 

 Considering the great body of reasonable Norwegian evidence, 

 extending through a number of years, which remains after setting 

 aside fables and exaggerations, it seems surprising that no natu- 

 ralist of that country has ever applied himself to make out some- 

 thing about the animal. In the meantime, as the public will most 

 probably be dubious about quickly giving credit to our account, the 

 following explanations are open to them, all of which have been 

 proposed to me, viz.: — porpoises, lumps of sea-weed, empty herring- 

 barrels, bladders, logs of wood, waves of the sea, and inflated 

 pig-skins; but as all these theories present to our minds greater 

 difficulties than the existence of the animal itself, we feel obliged 

 to decline them. 



D. TwOPENY. 



[I have long since expressed my firm couvictiou that there exists a large 

 marine animal unknown to us naturalists : I maintaiu this belief as firmly 

 as ever. I totally reject the evidence of published representations; but 

 I do not allow these imaginary figures to interfere with a firm conviction, 

 although I admit their tendency is always in that direction: the figures 

 and exaggerated descriptions of^ believers are far more damaging to a faith 

 in such an animal than the arguments, the ridicule, or the explanatory 

 guesses of unbelievers. The guess that a little seal was magnified by 

 Captain M'Quhse into a monster several hundred feet in length is simply 

 incredible : we smile at the conceit, and that is all. — Edward Newmam.] 



Perception in the lower Animals. — This interesting subject continues 

 to occupy the attention of the contributors to 'Nature.' I entirely agree 

 with the gifted Editor that "the best service he can at present x'ender to the 



