38 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Our well-known contributor. Mr. Robert Service, of Maxwelltown, 

 Dumfries, has sent us a revised copy of his " Vertebrate Zoology of 

 Kirkcudbrightshire," reprinted from Maxwell's Guide-Book to the 

 Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. As the author remarks — " Probably there 

 is no other tract of similar extent in the British Islands wherein may 

 be found so rich an assemblage of vertebrate animals as there is in 

 Kirkcudbrightshire." To a zoological visitor this publication is a 

 necessity, and, what is more, an exhaustive and trustworthy acquisition. 



At the Annual Meeting of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, held 

 at Hull on Wednesday, the 10th December, Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, 

 F.L.S., was presented with a handsome testimonial in recognition 

 of his past services as Secretary of the Union, and Editor of the 

 ' Naturalist.' The presentation took the form of a beautifully illuminated 

 address, in book form, and a clock and bronzes. References were 

 made by many speakers to the ability with which Mr. Roebuck had 

 worked in the interests of the Union. The new Secretary is Mr. T. 

 Sheppard, F.G.S., of the Municipal Museum, Hull, and the 'Naturalist' 

 will in future be edited by Mr. Sheppard and Mr. T. W. Woodhead, 

 F.L.S., of Huddersfield. The President for 1903 is Mr. Roebuck. 



The following is the latest contribution to the tale of the great 

 Sea Serpent ? — narratives which we propose to regularly chronicle, 

 without comment, for future comparison and digest. 



Extract from the log of the second officer of the s.s. Fort Salisbury : — 

 October 28, 1902, 3.5 a.m. — Dark object, with long, luminous trailing 

 wake, thrown in relief by a phosphorescent sea, seen ahead, a little on 

 starboard bow. Look-out reported two masthead lights ahead. These 

 two lights, almost as bright as a steamer's lights, appeared to shine 

 from two points in line on the upper surface of the dark mass. Con- 

 cluded dark mass was a whale, and lights phosphorescent. On drawing 

 nearer, dark mass and lights sank below the surface. Prepared to 

 examine the wake in passing with binoculars. Passed about forty to 

 fifty yards on port side of wake, and discovered it was the scaled back 

 of some huge monster slowly disappearing below the surface. Darkness 

 of the night prevented determining its exact nature, but scales of 

 apparently 1 ft. diameter, and dotted in places with barnacle growth, 

 were plainly discernible. The breadth of the body showing above 

 water tapered from about 30 ft. close abaft, where the dark mass had 

 appeared to about 5 ft. at the extreme end visible. Length roughly 



