CONCLUSIONS. 519 
its skin, secretes a quantity of liquid fat, large enough to leave 
a greasy trail”; this will certainly happen when it is severely 
wounded. 
Without any doubt it is true that it may “emit a very strong 
odour’ (61). 
b. Functions of the senses. 
1. Feeling. — Of course but little can be noticed about the 
animal’s feeling. Ponroppipan tells us that it has whiskers “like 
other animals which have a good nose.” How far the Bishop be- 
lieved that those whiskers had anything to do with the animal’s 
sense of smell, I cannot tell. But certainly they have not. Well 
developed whiskers are rarely found but in animals which catch 
their prey in a stealthy way, such as cats, dogs, viverrides, mus- 
telides, and numerous allied animals, and in animals which live 
in holes, as mice, rats, &c. It is known that all these animals 
can go through holes, crevices, fissures, slits or clefts which are 
large enough to admit their whiskers. Whiskers are organs of fee- 
ling. Consequently seals, sea-lions, sea-bears, &c., and also sea-ser- 
pents will on numerous occasions find their whiskers of great use 
for the purpose of feeling with them. 
Further it must not astonish us that sea-serpents are usually 
observed in fine weather when there is no wind. They seem to 
dislike wind, and therefore, if having no special purpose in view , 
they disappear as soon as the wind begins to blow (3, p. 129, p. 
133, 92, 94); they even seem to be very sensible of the least wind. 
Warmth on the contrary seems to be very welcome to them, 
as they are often seen on hot days, and even basking in the sun 
(114, 137). : 
2. Taste. The taste of the animal is, of course, only to be known 
by the food it takes. 
3. Smell. There is no doubt that, guided by their smell they 
prey on fish, but it is clear that we shall never know any more 
particulars about it. Only it is stated, and it seems to be true, 
that they cannot bear the smell of castoreum and asa foetida, and 
that Norwegian seamen and fishermen up to the days of RaTHKE 
(1840) would never forget to bring one of these drugs with them, 
to drive them away. (Pontopripan, p. 130, p. 184, p. 259). 
As far as I know, zoologists accept three reasons why some 
