[The 17th. ] THE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS. 457 
having seen the great sea-serpent, — to the best of my recollection 
near the same locality, and which I have no doubt was a piece 
of the same weed. So like a huge living monster did this appear, 
that, had circumstances prevented my sending a boat to it. I 
should certainly have believed I had seen the great sea-snake.” 
Frederic Smith, New-castle-on-Tyne, February 10, 1858.” —— 
The Editor of the Zoologist adds the following quotation from 
Harvey’ British Algae, p. 27, however, not as an explanation 
of the appearances of the sea-serpent, for he was a firm believer 
in its existence, but only as a note to the statement of Captain 
SmitH and to increase the knowledge of his readers as to the exis- 
tence of these large weeds. We do the same. 
“The plants of this family (Laminariaceae) are almost all of 
large size, and many of them gigantic, greatly exceeding in bulk 
any other marine vegetables. The Oarweeds and ‘Tangles of our 
own coasts have frequently stems six or eight feet long, and fronds 
expanding from their summits to as great a length; and the Sea- 
thong (Chorda) often measures forty feet in length. But these di- 
mensions are small, compared with their kindred on the shores of 
the Pacific ocean. The Wereocystis, a plant of this family inhabiting 
the north-western shores of America, has a stem, no thicker than 
whipcord, but upwards of 300 feet in length, bearing at its apex 
a huge vesicle, six or seven feet long, shaped like a barrel, and 
crowned with a tuft of upwards of fifty forked leaves, each from 
30 to 40 feet in length. The vesicle being filled with air, buoys 
up this immense frond, which lies stretched along the surface of 
the sea: here the sea-otter has his favoured lair, resting hiunself 
upon the vesicle, or hiding among the leaves while he pursues 
his fishmg. The cord-like stem which anchors this floating tree 
must be of considerable strength; and, accordingly, we find it 
used as a fishing-lme by the natives of the coast.” 
As soon as this suggestion was published, “an officer of H. M. 
S. Daedalus’ and Captain Harrineton repeated their assurances 
that the creatures they saw were living animals. Nay, even Rear- 
Admiral Hamiuron took up the cudgels for Captain Harrineron, 
upon which Captain Frepsric Smita wrote the following paper 
(The Times of 23 February 1858): 
“Sir, — I beg to explain, in answer to Rear-Admiral Hamiuton, 
that in the water, before being divested of its extraordinary-looking 
appendages, the diameter of my marine capture was above three 
feet. Some buckets full of splendidly-coloured blue and crimson 
