The Mythology of Fishes 151 
The Bishop-fish—‘‘ have seen a portrait of another sea- 
monster at Rome, whither it had been sent with letters that 
affirmed for certain that in 1531 one had seen this monster in 
a bishop’s garb, as here portrayed, in Poland. Carried to the 
king of that country, it made 
certain signs that it had a 
great desire to return to the 
sea. Being taken thither it 
threw itself instantly into the 
water.” 
The Sea-serpent—A myth of 
especial persistency is that of 
the sea-serpent. Most of the 
stories of this creature are sea- 
man’s yarns, sometimes based 
on a fragment of wreck, a long 
strip of kelp, the power of sug- 
gestion or the incitement of 
alcohol. But certain of these 
tales relate to real fishes. The 
sea-serpent with an uprearing 
red mane like that of a horse 
is the oarfish (Regalecus), a 
long, slender, fragile fish com- 
pressed like a ribbon and 
reaching a length of 25 feet. 
We here present a photograph 
of an oarfish (Regalecus rus- Fic. ey eee aie ie habit 
sell1) stranded on the Cali- ea eae ee 
fornia coast at Newport in Orange County, California. A figure 
of a European species (Kegalecus glesne) is also given showing the 
fish in its uninjured condition. Another reputed sea-serpent is 
the frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus angineus), which has been 
occasionally noticed by seamen. The struggles of the great 
killer (Orca orca) with the whales it attacks and destroys has 
also given rise to stories of the whale struggling in the embrace 
of some huge sea-monster. This description is correct, but the 
mammal is a monster itself, a relative of the whale and not a 
reptile. 
