PREFACE. IX 



authority of British officers, I then wish to state ray unhesitating 

 conviction that a marine animal of enormous size does exist, and that 

 it differs essentially from any living animal described in our systematic 

 works ; and here I cannot refrain from expressing my regret that the 

 statement of Captain Sullivan should have been so entirely neglected 

 as it has been : it appears to me in all respects equally trustworthy 

 with the official statement of Captain M'Quhae. 



The next question which occurs is this — to what class of verte- 

 brate animals must we refer this monster of the deep ? Is it a mammal, 

 bird, reptile, or fish ? All these classes include animals whose home 

 is the ocean. To commence with placental mammals ; — we have ot- 

 ters, seals, walruses and sea-cows, all of which breathe atmospheric 

 air, and, therefore, when swimming on the surface usually keep their 

 nostrils — often their heads — above the water : they also propel them- 

 selves by means of submerged feet or paddles, and, when inclined, 

 can move along the surface with rapid, direct and continuous motion. 

 Professor Owen (Zool. 2312), in accordance with these views, declares 

 the animal to be a seal, Phoca proboscidia or P. leonina, but his rea- 

 soning on the point appears to me very inconclusive : he assigns to 

 the animal a " capacious vaulted cranium," whereas Lieutenant Drum- 

 mond (Zool. 2307) declares the head was " long, pointed, and flat- 

 tened at the top," adding that it was " perhaps ten feet in length, the 

 upper jaw projecting considerably." Captain M'Quhae, also, subse- 

 quently to Professor Owen's paper, repeats (Zool, 2323) that " the 

 head was flat, and not a capacious vaulted cranium" The captain, 

 who must be annoyed at the insinuation that in an official report he 

 had magnified a seal into a sea-serpent, emphatically declares that 

 " its great length and its totally differing physiognomy preclude the 

 possibility of its being a Phoca of any species." This idea must 

 therefore be abandoned ; the other marine mammals still remaining 

 open for future consideration. 



Among Birds we have no approach to the animal described. 

 The Enaliosauri next claim our attention, and, for the present pur- 

 pose, I could wish to separate them from the Reptiles, because I feel 

 doubtful of their reptilian nature. For this doubt I could urge many 

 VI b 



