i8o Sea^Serpents 



with a stupendous horn reaching from its forehead to 

 the clouds. 



There is another thing which does not seem to 

 strike believers in Sea-serpent stories, such as the 

 learned Professor from whom I have quoted so largely. 

 And that is, that of the Sea-serpent so often described, 

 which I must call, for want of a better term, the Olaus 

 Magnus, or conventional Sea-serpent, no trace has 

 ever been supplied to the examination of naturalists. 

 Certain remains have been found, as, for instance, 

 those of the Animal of Stronsa in Orkney, about which 

 so furious a controversy raged nearly a century ago. 

 It was discovered in October 1808, on the rocks in 

 Rothiesholm Bay ; its measurement in length was 

 solemnly sworn to by three witnesses as having been 

 proved by themselves at fifty-five feet, and anatomical 

 details were given at great length to prove that it was 

 a veritable Sea-serpent. 



Mr. Everard Home, then the greatest living osteolo- 

 gical authority, went to Orkney at once and examined 

 the remains in the interest of science. His report 

 was clear and distinct enough to satisfy the most 

 exact seeker after truth, and considering the status 

 of the gentleman making it, who could have no other 

 interest in the matter than that of arriving at the facts, 

 it should have settled the controversy. He gave his 

 evidence unhesitatingly that it was a Squalus maximus, 

 or great basking shark, which did not exceed thirty-five 

 feet in length, and presented no difficulty even in an 

 advanced stage of decomposition in the determination 

 of its character. 



After sufficient time had elapsed the whole question, 

 which had been thought to be finally settled, was 

 again raised. Mr. Everard Home's scientific testimony 

 was thrown overboard, and the evidence of the illiterate 



