WOULD-BE SEA-SERPENTS. 79 
He gives seven inches as the diameter of the head, and two inches 
as the diameter of the cervical vertebra then still attached to the 
head. The total length of the animal is given as fifty-five feet, and 
this from actual admaesurement. It is now positively asserted that 
the animal in question was a shark; but the utter impossibility of 
a shark fifty-five feet in length having a head only seven inches 
in diameter, and cervical vertebrae only two inches in diameter, is 
so manifest that further inquiry seems desirable; and I shall esteem 
it a great kindness if any naturalist who may possess the means 
of doing so will reply to the following questions: — 
“]. How were the bones by Dr. Barclay obtained ? 
“2. What is the evidence that they belonged to one animal? 
“3. Where are these bones preserved ? 
“4. What is their present state? | 
“5 Has the skull ever been denuded of skin, muscle, etc. ? 
“6. Has it ever been examined by a competent comparative 
anatomist? and if so, what opinion has he pronounced on it? 
“Surely there are naturalists in Edinburgh who can answer the 
questions at once. It seems very irrational to speculate on the genus, 
order or class, to which a recent animal belongs, while the head 
and sternum of the creature are still in existence.” — 
The following “Reply” to these questions was given, printed in 
the Zoologist for 1849, p. 2396: 
“Reply to Mr. Newman’s Inquiries respecting the Bones of the 
Stronsa Animal. — Seeing your queries regarding the bones of an 
animal cast on shore at Stronsa, described by Dr. Barclay in the 
“Memoirs of the Wernerian Society’, — after some little trouble 
I have been able to answer most of these questions.” 
“1. How were the bones described by Dr. Barclay obtaimed ? — 
It will be seen in the “Wernerian Memoirs” (Vol. I. p. 438), that 
George Sherar, one of those who saw the animal, mentions that 
he brought away, to deliver to Mr. Laing (the Scotch historian), 
the skull, two joimts of one of the largest limbs next the head, 
with different parts of the back-bone, besides the bones that were 
formerly sent in. Mr. Laing, 1 suppose, forwarded them to Dr. 
Barclay.” 
“2. What is the evidence that they belonged to one animal? — 
The answer to this is simply that the aforesaid George Sherar took 
them from the same animal.” 
“3. Where are these bones preserved? 4. What is their present 
state? — Three of the vertebrae are in the Museum of the Royal 
