9 
TAKEN OFF THE COAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 307 
deceived the eye of some credulous mariner, from its rapid un- 
lating motion, linear form, and from its occasionally eppearing 
at the surface, and leaving a lengthened wake behind it, thus 
creating an exaggerated idea of its extent. 
On consulting, however, the accounts which have appeared of 
the Sea Serpent, we find that they relate in most instances to 
creatures widely different from the Ribbon Fish, such as whales, 
seals, sharks, &c., seen under disadvantageous circumstances or 
imperfectly observed. Still, though the Gymnetrus may not have 
originated the idea of the existence of a marine serpent, we 
think it not improbable that the occasional appearance of this 
fish may very materially have tended to keep up among the Nor- 
wegian fishermen that faith which they are stated to hold in the 
existence of such a monster. 
Of the habits of the Gymnetrus little can be said. The deli- 
cate general conformation of the body, the smallness and tender- 
ness of the mouth, the absence of teeth, the delicacy of the fins, 
show clearly that it is a fish not organized for attack—the dorsal 
crest and the ventral processes being obviously for the purpose 
of balancing the body, and not for either attack or defence. Its 
means of defence may consist partly in the bone-studded skin, 
but chiefly in the adaptation for flight, evidenced in the com- 
pressed form of the body, and in the great length and power of 
the tail. The small amount of half-digested food found in the 
stomachal cecum goes so far to prove the non-rapacious habits 
of the Gymnetrus, and make it probable that its habitual food 
is confined to the spawn of other fish, and the soft, small, and 
defenceless inhabitants of the deep. The absence of air-bladder 
seems to indicate the sea-bottom as the natural resort of this fish, 
where its food would be most abundant. 
The only evidence of its being indigenous on the north-eastern 
coast rests in its having been observed six times since 1759. 
There is little doubt of the remarkable circumstance that all the 
six have been captured during the spring months. 
In conclusion, we have only to state, that the fish is now in 
the possession of Mr. Edward Whitfield, of Newcastle, who kindly 
granted us permission to make the necessary examinations, and 
