[1753 | REPORTS AND PAPERS. 129 
believes that the occurrences of mermen and mermaids in the 
northern seas and even in the waters round Great-Britain and 
Treland “afford some slight hope that the remarkable rytina (Rytina 
borealis Gur) may not have become extinct in 1768, as has been 
supposed, but that it may still exist somewhat further south than 
it was met with by its original describer, SrennEer.” Some of the 
mermen of PonropprpAN were nothing else but Bladdernosed seals 
(Cystophora cristata (irxu) Nixss) as I already proved in my little 
paper in the Album der Natuur of 1882, and I see that Mr. Luz 
comes to the same conclusion (Sea Fables Hxrplained , London, 1883). 
We also know with certainty that the Kraken of the Norwegian 
tales and the gigantic Octopus of Denys pz Monrrorr really exist, 
and that they are nothing else but gigantic calamaries and cuttles 
(Cephalopoda). . 
But we don’t know with certainty what the Great-Sea-Serpent 
really is. That it exists, has already been stated by the highest 
scientific persons, so no doubt need any longer be felt as to that fact. 
“If it were not the wise and careful arrangement of the Creator, 
that this sea-animal perpetually lives in the depths of the sea, 
except in July and August, its pairing-time, during which it 
appears, when the sea is quite calm, but dives as soon as the 
wind ruffles the surface of the water; if this arrangement, I say, 
were not thus made for man’s safety, the existence of the sea-serpent 
would want fewer proofs, than even in Norway, thanks to God! 
is the case, the shores of which are the only ones of Europe, 
frequented by this monster.” 
Here again it is stated that the sea-serpent is only seen in July 
and August (and Pontoppipan believes that these two months are 
the pairing-time of the animal), that it only appears in calm 
weather, and dives under water as soon as the wind rises. The 
writer believes that the animal frequents only the shores of Norway. 
According to an account of Onaus Maenus, it seems, however, 
that the sea-serpent was also seen in the Baltic Ocean, and we 
know now for certain that the animal which Ecxrpr saw in Davis’ 
Straits at 64° N. lat., was also our Sea-Serpent. Evidently our 
Bishop did not hit on the idea that the Sea-Serpent could be a 
migratory animal. | 
“Tike all who are enemies to credulousness I too doubted of 
the existence of the sea-serpent, when at last my doubt was dis- 
pelled by incontestable proofs. Amongst our ablest navigators and 
fishermen of this country there are many hundreds who prove the 
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