1879 .] Correspondence. 197 
passionately discussed by biologists. With your permission, 
however, I will make a few remarks on the case of the Pauline. 
If the narrative deposed to at Liverpool is literally true, all 
doubt is at an end. No giant seal, basking-shark, piece of 
floating wreck, sea-weed, or flight of birds could aCt as the un- 
known monster is said to have done. The testimony — that of a 
number of disinterested observers who watched the struggle for 
a quarter of an hour — is such as would be accepted in any court 
of justice in the most serious case. Still there are certain points 
on which further light would be very welcome. When a boa or 
python attacks a deer its dry scaly surface is pressed against the 
rough hairy coat of the quadruped, whose limbs, further, prevent 
the deadly coils from slipping from their place. The sea-serpent, 
on the contrary, has to apply its skin, probably slimy, to the ex- 
ceedingly slippery surface of the whale, where there is no neck, 
waist, or projecting limb to aid in retaining the folds. Would 
not the difficulty of killing by constriction be greatly enhanced 
under such circumstances ? Again, the serpent whilst grappling 
with the whale is described as having its own head and tail dis- 
engaged, to the extent, as I understand, of 30 feet at each end. 
Now non-poisonous serpents, in attacking, invariably either keep 
hold of some fixed objeCt with their tail, or lay hold of the 
intended victim with their jaws. As no fulcrum for the tail was 
possible in this case, I should think that a preliminary seizure 
with the mouth would be all the more essential. That the jaws 
must be capable of opening wide enough for this purpose is 
evident if the prey was afterwards to be swallowed. A “ large” 
sperm whale measures in girth about 17 metres. It is much to 
be regretted that no naturalist appears to have had a conversation 
with the crew of the Pauline. — I am, &c., 
Serpent-Hunter. 
