Reptiles. 



5989 



recently shot, having fresh blood about the neck. The windpipe was divided into a 

 double tube for about half its length upward from the divarication of the bronchial 

 tubes. I do not know whether this is the case in all the petrels.— VF. Burrerjun. ; 

 Cow/old, Sussex y February 15, 1858. 



Another Peep at the Sea-Serpent. — I beg to enclose you a copy of an extract from 

 the meteorological journal kept by me on board the ship ' Castilian,' on a voyage 

 from Bombay to Liverpool. T have sent the original to the board of Trade, for whom 

 the observations have been made during my last voyage. I am glad to confirm a 

 statement made by ihe Commander of Her Majesty's ship 'Daedalus,' some years 

 ago, as to the existence of such an animal as that described by him. — G. H. Har- 

 rington; 14 and 14^, South Castle Street^ Liverpool^ February 2, 1858. 



" Copy of an Extract from the Board of Trade Meteorological Journal^ Jcppt by Capt. 

 Harrington^ of the ship ' Castilian,' from Bombay for Liverpool, 



" Ship Castilian, Dec. 12, 1857, north-east end of St. Helena, 

 bearing north-west, distance 10 miles. 



" At 6 30 p.m., strong breezes and cloudy, ship sailing about 12 miles per hour. 

 While myself and ofificers were standing on the lee side of the poop, looking towards 

 the island, we were startled by the sight of a huge marine animal which reared its 

 head out of the water within 20 yards of the ship, when it suddenly disappeared for 

 about half a minute and then made its appearance in the same manner again, showing 

 us distinctly its neck and head about 10 or 12 feet out of the water. Its head was 

 shaped like a long nun buoy, and I suppose the diameter to have been seven or eight 

 feet in the largest part, with a kind of scroll, or tuft of loose skin, encircling it about 

 two feet from the top ; the water was discoloured for several hundred feet from its 

 head, so much so that on its first appearance my impression was that the ship was in 

 broken water, produced, as I supposed, by some volcanic agency since the last time I 

 passed the island, but the second appearance completely dispelled those fears, and 

 assured us that it was a monster of extraordinary length, which appeared to be moving 

 slowly towards the land. The ship was going too fast to enable us to reach the mast- 

 head in time to form a correct estimate of its extreme length, but from what we saw 

 from the deck we conclude that it must have been over 200 feet long. The boatswain 

 and several of the crew who observed it from the topgallant forecastle state that it was 

 more than double the length of the ship, in which case it must have been 500 feet; 

 be that as it may, I am convinced that it belonged to the serpent tribe; it was of a 

 dark colour about the head, and was covered with several white spots. Having a 

 press of canvass on the ship at the time I was unable to round to without risk, and 

 therefore was precluded from getting another sight of this leviathan of the deep. 



" George Henry Harrington, Commander. 

 " William Davie s. Chief Officer. 

 Edvvaud Wheeler, Second Officer." 



