[ 1818. ] REPORTS AND PAPERS. 199 
The attempts mentioned above were continued, and, as my 
readers already read in my Chapter on hoaxes, ended with a hoax; 
at last a large tunny was brought in, and many persons believed 
it to be the animal! Among those who were present there was a Mr. 
Anprews Norton; he wrote, Sept. 11, 1818, a letter about this 
affair to Mr. Grorcr Bancrort, an extract from which is also 
inserted in our Chapter on hoaxes. I will repeat here his last words: 
“I have only to add that if you should learn that any one of 
the German literati is writing a volume upon Sea-Serpents, I beg 
you will assure him that we’ (Mr. Norton and Prof. Prox) “do 
not consider the circumstance connected with the deception just 
mentioned, as affecting the evidence before obtained for their real 
existence.’ — 
The Quarterly Journal of Interature, Science and the Arts R. 
Inst. Gr. Brit. repeats in its Vol. VIL, London, 1819, the whole 
paper of Prof. Peck, and a translation into German appeared in 
Oxen’s Isis of 1819. 
The well-known Rarinesave Scumattz, when in America, made 
the sea-serpent a subject of study and inquiry as Prof. Puck had 
done. He too wrote a paper about it, entitled: Dissertation on 
Water-Snakes, Sea-Snakes, and Sea-Serpents. It seems that his 
dissertation appeared in an American Journal or in American 
Transactions, and that it was afterwards reprinted in the Phzlosoph- 
wcal Magazine, Vol. LIV, 1819. He is a believer in Sea-Serpents , 
is evidently convinced that several species exist, belonging to the 
family of the Hydrophidae, or real Sea-Snakes. 
After having mentioned 9 species of real Sea-Snakes, of which 
the last was 8 to 10 feet long, hoe goes on: 
“This last species appears to be the largest real Sea-Snake which 
has fallen under the personal observation of naturalists as yet. But 
larger species still have been noticed at different periods. If I had 
the time and opportunity of perusing all the accounts of travellers 
and historians, I could probably bring many into notice; but this 
tedious labour must be postponed, and I must warn those who 
may be inclined to inquire into the subject, not to be deceived 
by the imperfect and exaggerated accounts of ancient and unknown 
