THE GREA T SEA SERPENT. 
77 
is proceeding. The tail part, therefore, goes in advance, 
and the body tapers towards this, al- 
most to a blunt point. At a short 
distance from the actual extremity two 
flat fins project from the body, one 
on each side, as shown in Figs. i6 
and 1 8, so that this end of the squid's 
body somewhat resembles in shape 
the government "broad arrow." It 
is a habit of these squids, the small 
species of which are met with in some 
localities in teeming abundance, to swim 
on the smooth surface of the water in 
hot and calm weather. The arrow- 
headed tail is then raised out of water, 
to a height which in a large individual 
might be three feet or more ; and, as it 
precedes the rest of the body, moving 
at the rate of several miles an hour, it 
of course looks, to a person who has 
never heard of an animal going tail first 
at such a speed, like the creature's head. 
The appearance of this " head " varies 
in accordance with the lateral fins being 
seen in profile or in broad expanse. The 
elongated, tubular-looking body gives the 
idea of the neck to which the "head" 
is attached ; the eight arms trailing be- 
hind (the tentacles are always coiled 
away and concealed) supply the sup- 
posed mane floating on each side ; the 
undulating motion in swimming, as the 
water is alternately drawn in and expelled, accords with 
