314 
NATURAL HISTORY 
he was not more than one foot and half in length, and 
then the protuberances on his back were, at least, three 
times as large, as when extended. The young serpent 
was killed in a meadow, near Loblolly cove. Loblolly 
cove lies upon the eastern shore of Cape Ann, about 
west from Thatcher’s island. This cove makes up about 
one hundred and fifty yards into the main land, in a 
southwesterly direction. This cove is not much frequent- 
ed; the nearest dwelling houses are distant from the cove, 
from one fourth, to half a mile.” 
A few remarks on the question, whether the great 
serpent, seen in the harbour of Gloucester, be the Sco« 
liophis Atlanticus, will close our report. 
The appearance at nearly the same time and place of 
two creatures, agreeing with each other in certain im- 
portant and conspicuous particulars, disagreeing in the 
most remarkable of these particulars with other animals 
of their class; and between whom no difference, but that 
of size, has been discovered, must naturally lead to a 
conjecture that they are of the same species. The evi- 
dences in favour of this supposition are so considerable, 
that your committee would not be justified in neglect- 
ing to direct your attention to them. 
The principal circumstances which encourage the idea 
that these animals possess the same structure and confi- 
guration, are the following. 
The appearances noticed in the depositions, relative to 
the great serpent, except in the few instances of contra- 
diction, all of them agree with, and are accounted for, 
by a structure like that of the Scoliophis. The protu- 
berances seen above water might be produced in two 
ways. By bunches on the back projecting out of the wa- 
ter, while the animal was at rest, or by vertical undula- 
tions of the body when in motion. The supposition 
that both these appearances have been presented at 
different times, is the most satisfactory mode of account- 
ing for the variety of testimony with regard to the num- 
ber, size, and distance of these protuberances. The 
other facts stated in relation to the form and general ar- 
