CONCLUSIONS. 537 
9. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
The Rev. ABbranHAmM Cummines, after having mentioned that the 
animal swims with vertical undulations, wrote in August 1803: 
“this renders it highly probable that he never moves on land to 
any considerable distance, and that the water is his proper ele- 
ment’ (29). 
I wish to express here my firm conviction that these animals 
never come ashore, nor even on the ice, but always remain in 
the water. It is true that we have one observation that an individ- 
ual rested upon a sandy beach, which, however, at that time had 
about four feet water upon it. But we have other observations that 
individuals which, followmg a boat, come into shallow water, im- 
mediately and apparently with some difficulty took a turn and 
went away (31, 115). 
It seems that in Norway it has happened a few times that these 
animals, which are in the habit of frequenting the fjords, swam 
even up the mouths or the lower parts of rivers, consequently 
swam in fresh water, which probably gave rise to the fable of 
these animals being born on land, remain there till they are too 
large to hide themselves, and then swim down to the sea, where 
they can move much more easily. Their swimming in fresh water 
is once recorded, viz. in the Hudson-mouth, New Yersey, U.S. A. 
(158). 
Moreover they are sea-animals, and according to their air-breath- 
ing condition, live on the surface, though they may sometimes 
seek great depths (119). 
I have already shown that these animals like swushiny and hot 
weather. They don’t like wind, and consequently we may conclude 
that they are averse of cold weather and of cold water. Therefore they 
are seen near Norway especially in July and August, which led 
Pontopripan to suggest that they “perpetually live in the depths of the 
sea, except in July and August’ (p. 129). The Bishop seems not to have 
hit upon the idea that the sea-serpents could be migratory animals. 
The sea-serpents, it is true, may remain for a long time in a 
place where they enjoy all that they can possibly wish to have, 
i, e€. room enough, bright weather and plenty of food. They may 
stay a few days in the same fjord (3, 4, 96) or in the same place 
or harbour (81 and 32, 34 and 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 
44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49, 50 and 51, &., &c.). But then, it 
may be that the fish is flown for the enemy, or that the season 
