190 Wernetian Natural History Society. — Dublin Society'. 



At this meeting, also, Mr. P. Neill. read an account of a 

 great Sea Snake, lately cast ashore in Orkney. This curious 

 animal, it appears, was stranded in Rolhesholm Bay, in the 

 island of' Stronsa. Malcolm Laing, Esq*, M.P., being in 

 Orkney at the time, communicated the circumstance to his 

 brother, Gilbert Laing, Esq., advocate at Edinburgh, on 

 whose property the animal had been cast. Through this au- 

 thentic channel Mr. Neill received his information. The 

 body measured fifty-five feet in length, and the circumfe- 

 rence of the thickest part might be equal to the girth of an 

 Orkney pony. The head was not larger than that of a seal, 

 and was furnished with two blow holes. From the back a 

 number of filaments (resembling in texture the fishing- 

 tackle known by the name of silk-worm gut) hung down 

 like a mane. On each side of the body were three large fins, 

 shaped like paws, and jointed. The body was unluckily 

 knocked to pieces by a tempest ; but the fragments have 

 been collected by Mr. Laing, and are to be transmitted to 

 the museum at Edinburgh. Mr. Neill concluded with re- 

 marking, that no doubt could be entertained that this was 

 the kind of animal described by Ramus, Egede, and Pon- 

 toppidan, but which scientific and systematic naturalists 

 had hitherto rejected as spurious and ideal. 



DUBLIN SOCIETY. 



A letter, dated Manchester, and signed John Bradbury^ 

 was laid before the Society, at their late meeting, stat- 

 ing that the proprietors of the Liverpool Botanic Garden 

 had resolved on forming an establishment at New Orleans, 

 America, with a view to collect the plants of Kentucky and 

 Louisiana, and to transmit to England living duplicates of 

 the plants which should be so collected and multiplied on 

 such establishment ; and desiring to be informed if the 

 Dublin Society would, in consideration of green specimens 

 of the same, contribute to the expense, their quota not to 

 exceed lOOl. per annum. 



The secretary laid before the Society a list of several va- 

 luable West India plants, presented to the Society by captain 



Burgh. 



3 XXXIII. In- 



