4.62 THE VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS. [The 18th. ] 
size, with which the appearance of that hitherto apocryphal monster 
“The Great Sea-Serpent”, as detailed by navigators, is invested. 
The lengthened filaments crowning the caput, joined anteriorly by 
the connecting membrane, and extending to the shoulders, would, 
viewed from a vessel's deck, present to the spectator the mane so 
accurately described as a singular feature in the gigantic specimen 
seen by Capt. M’Quhae, R. N., and officers of H. M.S. Daedalus. 
Then again, the rapidity with which that individual specimen 
moved through the water, would coincide with the capabilities of 
a member of this genus, for the motive power produced by such 
an extent of tail, coupled with the extremely compressed form of 
body from the head throughout, must be immense.” 
“Here then we have a partial elucidation of the various state- 
ments which have at intervals appeared in the columns of the 
united presses of England and America, emanating from the pens 
of travelers, and usually headed — “Occurrence of the Sea-Serpent’’ — 
criticised , however, in an ungenerous manner, and always exposed 
to an unmerited ridicule at the hands of the many, but, neverthe- 
less, firmly believed in by the few, who have patiently waited to 
see the day when the mystic cloud which has hitherto veiled the 
existence of the maned denizen of the deep should vanish with 
the suspicion of the sceptic, and exhibit more clearly the truth of 
the assertions of those ill-used men, who, endeavouring like useful 
members of society to extend the cause of natural knowledge by 
publishing candid accounts of what their eyes have seen, have 
always met with an amount of contempt and reproach, sufficient 
to silence for ever the pen of many a truthful writer.” 
“J am sorry I have not the numero of the Illustrated London 
News at hand in which Capt. M’Quhae’s graphic statement appeared, 
as it would have afforded me an opportunity of particulirising other 
features in connection with his specimen and the present one. The 
facts, however, regarding the mane-like appendage, and the rapidity 
of motion to which I have alluded, are still fresh in my memory.” 
Mr. Newman, the Editor of the Zoologist, thinking this ribbon- 
fish a new species, gave a detailed description of it, and honoured 
it with the name of Regalecus Jones, but to our great astonish- 
ment, he, who firmly believed the sea-serpent to be an Hnalo- 
saurus (as we have observed above) now seems to be in doubt 
about the matter, for he ends his article with the following words: 
“In reference to the last question mooted by Mr. Jones, the 
similarity of Regalecus Jonesii to Capt. M’Quhae’s sea-serpent, I 
