390 THE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS. [The 4th. ] 
The fourth explanation. Mr. Constant Samvuren RarinesquE 
Smattz, in his Dissertation on Water-Snakes, Sea-Snakes, and 
Sea-Serpents (Philosophical Magazime, Vol. 54, 1819.), is evidently 
convinced of the fact that there are several kinds of sea-serpents, 
which are merely sea-snakes of a very large size. (amily Hy- 
drophidae), of which I give a figure representing the Aydrophis 
pelamidoides, and Mr. Rarinusave classes two different sea-serpents 
under this head, proposing for them the names of Pelamis 
megophias (Megophias monstrosus) and Pelamis monstrosus s. 
chloronotis. 
Mr. Gossz, in his Romance of Natural LMstory, after discussing 
the question whether the sea-serpent may be an optical illusion 
caused by a huge 
stem of sea-weed , 
or a large seal, a 
cetacean, a basking 
shark , a ribbon fish, 
or a large kind of 
eel, continues his 
considerations in the 
following terms: 
“To the Reptiles, 
however, popular 
opinion has pretty 
uniformly assigned 
Fig. 56. — Hydrophis pelamidoides. — this denizen of the 
sea , and his accepted 
title of “sea-serpent” sufficiently mdicates his zoological affinities 
in the estimation of the majority of those who believe in him. 
Let us, then, test his claims to be a serpent.” 
“lhe marine habit presents no difficulty. For, in the Indian and 
Pacific Oceans, there are numerous species of true snakes (Hydr- 
ophidae), which are exclusively inhabitants of the sea. They are 
reported to remain much at the surface, and even to sleep so 
soundly there, that the passing of a ship through a group some- 
times fails to awaken them.” 
“None of these are known to exceed a few feet in length, and, 
so far as we know, none of them have been found in the Atlantic.” 
Mr. Anprew Witson on the contrary in September, 1878, de- 
clares in Wature (Vol. XVIII, Sept. 12) that: 
“As a firm believer from the standpoint of Zoology the large 
