WOULD-BE SEA-SERPENTS. 67 
the shoulder-blade of a cow, forming a part of the side: That a 
part of the tail was awanting, being incidentally broken off at the 
extremity; where the last joint of it was bare, was an inch and a 
half in breadth: That the bones were of a gristly nature, like those 
of a halibut, the back-bone excepted, which was the only solid 
one in the body: That the tail was quite flexible, turning in every 
direction, as he lifted it; and he supposes the neck to have been 
equally so, from its appearance at the time: That he has brought 
in, to deliver to Mr. Laing, the skull, two joints of one of the 
largest limbs, next the head, with different parts of the backbone, 
besides the bones that were formerly sent in: That there were either 
five or six toes upon each paw, about nine inches long, and of a 
soft substance: That the toes were separate from each other, and 
not webbed, as far as he could observe; and that the paw was 
about half a foot each way, in length and in breadth: That a few days 
thereafter, a gale of wind came on, and drove it to another part 
of the shore, where it was broken to pieces by the surge, and 
when Mr. Petrie came out to take a drawing of it, no part of the 
body remained entire: That he endeavoured to convey an idea of 
the animal to Mr. Petrie, by drawing the figure. of it as accurately 
as he could, with chalk, on the table, exactly as it lay on the 
shore, after which Mr. Petrie made six or seven different sketches 
or plans of the fish, before he could bring it to correspond, in 
each minute particular, with the strong idea which he retains of 
its appearance: That he was the more attentive to its shape, dimen- 
sions and figure, in order to be able to give an accurate account 
of it to any travellers that might come to Rothiesholm, and that 
he is ready to make oath that the drawing is an exact resemblance 
of the fish, as it appeared when he measured it; and corresponds 
in all particulars with the idea which he entertains of the figure, 
dimensions, and proportions of the fish: That the substance of the 
body appeared like coarse, ill coloured beef, interlarded with fat 
or tallow, without the least resemblance or affinity to fish; but 
when put into a lamp, and the lamp placed on the fire, it neither 
flamed nor melted, but burned away like a gristly substance: 
That he perceived no teeth in the upper jaw; the lower jaw and 
tongue being awanting, and the palate also away: That the aperture 
of the throat appeared to be so wide, that he might have put his 
foot down through it: That the joints of the limbs were not united 
by a ball and socket but were lapped over each other, and united 
by some means which he does not comprehend: That there were 
