eI’, 70, | REPORTS AND PAPERS. 219 
“] remember also that a letter appeared in the Boston Centinel, 
soon after, published by an officer in the American Navy, who 
reported that, on his return from a survey of some part of the 
coast, he saw, when out of sight of land, a large serpent. He was 
so near that he drew an outline of it, and that outline accompanied 
the paragraph. When you showed me Mr. Warburton’s figure on 
the card, I at first thought it was a copy of that of the Centinel. 
I can only add, for your own satisfaction, that J have no doubt 
of the existence of this remarkable animal.” 
As Dr. Boort is speaking of a visit at Boston in August 1819, 
the words “soon after” of course signify in the latter part of August 
or in the beginning of September. As the officer was “on his return” 
and published his encounter in the Boston Centinel, the appearance 
most probably occurred not far from Boston. The reader will find 
Mr. Warsurton’s drawing further on (n°. 83). 
@1. — 1819, September 132 — (Péil. Mag. LIV, 1819). 
“The great Sea-Snake has been seen again towards the middle 
of September, in the bay of Massachusetts, and three yellow collars 
observed on his neck, which has led some to believe it might be 
another individual and species; but this circumstance might have 
been overlooked before. It is not stated whether it had streaks of 
a lighter hue on the body, as the first was represented to have 
by some witnesses. It is therefore likely that the two characters 
of “streaks of a lighter hue on the body and three yellow collars 
on the neck”, may be added to its description. The collars are 
described as about two inches broad, and one foot apart.” 
The three yellow collars observed on its neck may be explained 
as follows: ‘he animal has a hairy skin, as we have already seen, 
like a seal-skin. Now, when the neck is wet and contracted by the 
animal, its skin gets wrinkles, of course running round the neck, 
as is also the case in sea-lions. Those parts of these wrinkles, which 
are deepest, remain wet for a very long time, because they are 
not exposed to the air; those, however, which are highest, if we 
may use this expression, are not only most exposed to the air, 
but the hairs on those parts diverge and dry as soon as possible;. 
and — when dry, they have a yellow greyish colour. If the animal 
now stretches its neck, it may show one, two, &c., even eight or 
more yellow-coloured collars round its dark brown neck, which 
