APPENDIX II 
THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT, 
Mr, Henry Lee, formerly naturalist to the Brighton Aquarium, 
discusses the question of “ The Great Sea-Serpent” in an interesting 
little book, entitled MonstersUnniasked^ illustrated (1883), published 
as one of the Handbooks issued in connection with the International 
Fisheries Exhibition. He goes fully into the history of the subject, 
and shows how some of the appearances described may be accounted 
for ; but yet is inclined to think that there may exist in the sea animals 
of great size unknown to science, and concludes as follows - 
“This brings us face to face with the question, ^ Is it, then, so im- 
possible that there may exist some great sea creature, or creatures, 
with which zoologists are hitherto unacquainted, that it is necessary 
in every case to regard the authors of such narratives as wilfully 
untruthful or mistaken in their observations, if their descriptions are 
irreconcilable with something already known ? ’ I, for one, am of the 
opinion that there is no such impossibility. Calamaries or squids of 
the ordinary size have, from time immemorial, been amongst the 
commonest and best known of marine animals in many seas ; but 
only a few years ago any one who expressed his belief in one formi- 
dable enough to capsize a boat or pull a man out of one was derided 
for his credulity, although voyagers had constantly reported that in 
the Indian seas they were so dreaded that the natives always carried 
hatchets with them in their canoes, with which to cut off the arms or 
tentacles of these creatures, if attacked by them. We now know that 
their existence is no fiction ; for individuals have been captured 
measuring more than fifty feet, and some are reported to have 
measured eighty feet in total length. As marine snakes some feet 
in length, and having fin-like tails adapted for swimming, abound 
over an extensive range, and are frequently met with far at sea, I 
cannot regard it as impossible that some of these also may attain to 
an abnormal and colossal development. Dr, Andrew Wilson, who 
