508 CONCLUSIONS. 
pent’s (74), or of a common snake’s (97, 101), and tapering small 
from the head to the body (121). It is obvious that this observer 
used the expression “tapering” in a sense contrary to the usual 
one, for he had a fair opportunity to see the animal’s head, long 
neck and upper part of the trunk with the two foreflappers, and 
he goes on with the words: and it appeared to measure about 
seven feet across the broadest part of the back. 
The ¢runk& must be broadest before and smallest behind, as may 
be inferred from the following statements: its shoulders are consid- 
erably broader than the head (31), from the shoulders it tapered 
towards the tail (81, 39, 91, 150), the breadth diminished re- 
markably towards the tail (92), from the shoulder (estimated to 
be about twenty feet) diminishing towards the tail to about twenty 
four inches (122), evidently the end of the latter was hidden un- 
der water. Moreover, the body is said to be round (102, 115, 
117), even as a snake’s (92), and on one occasion, when seen from 
behind, is said to be developed in form like that of a gigantic 
turtle (148, fig. 45), which we need not say, was the result ot 
the upper part of the back being only visible. Remarkable is the 
use of the term “shoulders”, for even if the flappers of the animal were 
never actually observed , we are now obliged to conclude that the ani- 
mal was possessed of fore-limbs. Equally remarkable is the state- 
ment: “there is a distinct difference in thickness between the body 
and the tail; the trunk is not gradually growing smaller, where 
the tail begins, but at once and very distinctly” (8, 12, 146); 
for such an animal has rumps, and consequently also thighs and 
hind-limbs. | 
The ¢adl itself is cylindrical (146), like that of a snake (101), and 
tapermg to its end (8, 12, 146, 150, fig. 19). Twice the ami- 
mal’s head and tail were plaimly visible above the surface (135, 
162), the trunk being wholly hidden under the surface of the 
water; it was called a snake; the shape of the tail was not men- 
tioned; evidently the tail was pointed, else it would have been 
described as resembling that of a fish or of a whale; evidently it 
was also tapering to its end, else it would have been described as 
a cord or whiplike. The same was the case in n°. 1524; the 
observer firmly believed he saw an enormous serpent. 
Position and shape of flappers. Hans Keune said that the ani- 
mal had two flappers on the fore-part of the body (5), but the 
drawing of Mr. Brine, his brother missionary (fig. 19), 1s not ac- 
curate, as the animal’s neck is drawn too small, the head too 
