CHEATS AND HOAXES. 19 
é Fig. 1. Thynnus thynnus (Linn,). 
In the Philosophical Magazine, Vol. LIII, p. 71, of January 
1819, we read: | 
“T. Say, Esq., of Philadelphia, m a letter received from him by 
Dr. Leach, announces that a Captain Rich had fitted out an exped- 
ition purposely to take this leviathan, of which so much has been 
said in the newspapers and even in some scientific journals. He 
succeeded in “fastening his harpoon in what was acknowledged by 
all the crew to be the veritable Sea-serpent (and which several of 
them had previously seen and made oath to): but when drawn 
from the water, and full withm the sphere of their vision, it prov- 
ed that this serpent, which fear had loomed to the gigantic length 
of 100 feet, was no other than a harmless Tunny (Scombrus Thyn- 
mus) nine or ten feet long!” 
We see that Mr. Norton and Prof. Puck immediately recognized 
the whole story as a Yankee-trick, but that Prof. T. Say was the 
dupe of it! 
From a letter from Prof. Jacop Bicrnow to Prof. Brnsamin 
Sinmiman (4m. Journ. Sc. Arts, Vol. IT, Boston, 1820) I conclude 
that Prof. Say’s letter was printed in Taomson’s Annals for Jan. 
1819. If anybody can tell me the exact title of T'Homson’s Annals, 
he will oblige me, indeed. I have had no opportunity to consult 
it. A part of this letter was translated into German, and inserted 
in Oxen’s /sis of 1819, p. 653. I will try to translate this part 
into English again: | 
“1 regret that many scientific journals in Europe have in good 
earnest treated of the absurd story of the Great Sea-Serpent, which 
is nothing but a result of defective observation connected with an 
