Xll PREFACE. 



applied only to the sea-serpent of the Daedalus. Leaving, however, 

 this Orcadian monster to its own merits, I may observe, first y that all 

 analogy contravenes the idea of a shark having a neck, and secondly, 

 I would beg of those gentlemen who advocate this hypothesis, to take 

 their pencils and depict a shark with his head and shoulders clear out 

 of the water, and his body hanging almost perpendicularly below : I 

 think the most brilliant fancy could scarcely imagine a shark main- 

 taining such a position for twenty minutes at a time, and, what is 

 stranger still, while in this position, ploughing the ocean at the rate 

 of twenty miles an hour. 



After maturely considering these various views, it will be found 

 that the Enaliosaurian hypothesis presents the fewest difficulties, — in 

 fine, one only, the supposition that these wonderful creatures have 

 become extinct. It will be the object of a separate essay, now pre- 

 paring for the press, to adduce evidence from other sources of the ex- 

 istence — in sea-serpents seen off the Norwegian coast — of two large 

 flappers or paddles, closely corresponding in situation with the ante- 

 rior paddles of Ichthyosaurus, and also of enormous eyes, exactly 

 as indicated by the fossil remains of that animal ; but this, not being 

 deducible from recent observations, may be reserved for a more com- 

 plete and careful review of the entire history of these enormous crea- 

 tures which in all probability will eventually be found to constitute 

 several genera and species. 



In throwing open the pages of the ' Zoologist ' to communications 

 on a subject so uniformly tabooed by the scientific, — in claiming for 

 that subject a calm and dispassionate investigation, — in expressing 

 my unhesitating belief that the various narratives, although often con- 

 flicting, are nevertheless, according to the belief of the narrators, per- 

 fectly true, — and in attempting to assign the sea-serpent a place in 

 the System of Nature, — I feel convinced that all true naturalists will 

 approve the course I have taken, and will be willing to abide the re- 

 sult. Discussion must ever have the tendency to dissipate error and 

 establish truth ; and he who believes himself right need never shun the 

 ordeal. In this spirit I invite discussion, and shall feel obliged for 

 any communications tending to elicit or establish truth. 



