546 CONCLUSIONS. 
Serpent with the common small sea-snakes, proposes in that case — 
the name of AMegophias monstrosus. Here we have the oldest generic 
name for these animals, viz. Megophias. In my opinion, the only 
name to be given to the sea-serpent is that of 
Megophias megophias (Ra¥.) Ovp. 
I know that such a double name will offend the eyes and ears 
of some zoologists. But it will not do to give a wrong name simply - 
to please some zoologists; and it is here the question: by what 
name must these animals be called according to the /aw of nomen- 
clature, and then I say: 
Megophas megophas (Rar.) Ovn. 
and its synonyms are: 
Pelamis megophias, Rar., Nov., 1819, (n°. 1), 
Megophias monstrosus, Rar., Nov., 1819, @’. 1), 
Octipos bicolor, Ra¥., Nov., 1819, (n°. 2), 
Pelamis monstrosus, Rar., Nov., 1819, (Add. n°. 4), 
Pelamis chloronotis, Rar., Nov., 1819, (Add. n°. 4), 
Zeuglodon plesiosauroides, Ouv., Nov., 1881. 
The name of Halsydrus Pontopydant, proposed by Mr. Patric - 
Neri, for the “great sea-snake cast ashore on the isle of Stronsa” 
(Phil. Mag. Vol. 33, p. 90, Jan., 1809) can of course not be ac- 
cepted as the scientific name of the sea-serpent, although it 1s older 
than Megophias megophas (Rar.) Oup. (See our Chapter on Would- 
be Sea-Serpents.) 
Nor can there be any question to consider the name of Hydrar- 
chos Sillimanni, proposed by Dr. Koce# for his so-called fossil sea- 
serpent, as a synonym of Megophias megophas (Rar.) Oup. (See 
our Chapter on Hoaxes). 
C. Conclusions. 
1. COMPARISON WITH ALLIED ANIMALS. 
It will be quite superfluous to tell my readers to which order 
of animals I think that this Megophias megophias belongs. It runs 
like a red thread through my whole volume, that I firmly believe 
that it belongs to the Order of Pinnipedia. 
More than once I have already shown the relation to this Order, 
but probably not often enough to convince some headstrong scep- 
ticals, or even those who believe in the existence of sea-serpents, 
but think that they belong to other orders of the Animal Kingdom. 
