[The 4th. | THE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS. 391 
development of the marine ophidians of warm seas offers the true 
explanation of the sea-serpent mystery, ....” 
But a few lines further on he also tells us: 
“J am far from contending that a sea-snake developed in the 
ratio of a giant “cuttle fish’, presents the only solution of this 
intereresting problem. A long tape fish, or even a basking shark 
of huge dimensions, might do duty in the eyes of non-zoological 
observers for a “sea-serpent’’.”” — 
In his ZLezsure Time Studies, the same writer returns to his fa- 
vourite idea: 
“The only group of animals to which our attention may be 
specially directed with the view of finding a zoological solution of 
the problem, is that of the Vertebrata, — the highest group of 
animals, which possesses the fishes as its lowest, and man and 
quadrupeds as its highest representatives. Laying aside the class of 
birds, as including no form at all allied to our present mquiry, 
we are left with, speaking generally, three groups of animals, from 
the ranks of which various forms may be selected to aid us in 
solving the sea-serpent mystery. These three groups are the fishes, 
reptiles, and mammalia, and it may be shown that from each of 
these classes, but more notably from among the fishes and reptiles, 
various animals, corresponding more or less closely with the des- 
criptions given of strange marine monsters, may be obtained. An 
important consideration, however, must not be overlooked at this 
stage, namely, that too frequently the attempt to reconcile the sea- 
serpent with some ‘mown animal of serpentine form and nature, 
has limited the perceptions and foiled the labours of naturalists. 
Starting with the fixed idea that the unknown form must be a 
serpent, and not widening their thoughts to admit of the term 
“serpentine” being extended to groups of animals other than the 
reptilia, naturalists soon exhausted the scientific aspect of the sub- | 
ject, and the zoological solution of the problem was almost at once 
given up. Then, also, as far as I have been able to ascertain, zoo- 
logists and other writers on this subject have never made allowance 
for the abnormal and huge development of ordinary marine animals. 
My own convictions on this matter find in these two considerations, 
but especially in the last idea, the most reasonable and likely ex- 
planation of the personality of the sea-serpent, and also the recon- 
ciliation of such discrepancies as the various narrations may be 
shown to evince. If we thus fail to find in the ranks of ordinary 
animal life, or amongst the reptiles themselves, the representatives 
