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120 feet long, which stopped the whole army of Regulus on the banks of 
an African river, until killed by the military engines. Pliny, confirming 
the story, declares that its skin and jaws remained in the Capitol till the 
Numantine war, a period of 120 or 180 years. He also relates that a 
python was exhibited in Rome, in the days of Claudius, 50 cubits long. 
Now, a sea serpent, if ever authenticated and measured, will be found 
probably not to exceed these dimensions. 
The rapid increase of mankind, the subjection of the animal creation 
to his uses, and the progressive destruction of all the races that may be 
offensive to his interests or threatening to his safety, account sufficiently 
for the diminution in the size of these monster reptiles, without the ne¬ 
cessity of supposing the foregoing instances to have been the lingering 
survivors of species now extinct, though this is feasible. But these causes 
need not apply to the generations of mighty creatures whose home is in 
the ocean depths. We have spoken of the superior size of the oceanic 
fishes, and of the effects of heat in developing structure. There is yet 
another circumstance peculiar to some classes of fishes, which also influ¬ 
ences their size, their longevity, and the generally admitted fact that the 
cartilaginous kinds at least continue to grow as long as they live. Some 
naturalists have estimated the natural duration of the life of the whale at 
1000 years, which is not likely, being one of the mammalia. It is to the 
true fishes that the remark rather applies. We have not many data for 
judging accurately of the longevity of fish, but such as we possess do 
lead to the conviction that it is in this division of organized nature we 
must seek the patriarchs of creation, only to be surpassed by the wonders 
of the vegetable world. It is confirmatory of the doctrine of the continu¬ 
ous growth of many of the cartilaginous fishes, that in this class we find 
the greatest increase of individual size. Those of osseous structure may 
also partake of this effect of longevity, as they certainly do, of the forcing 
power of high temperature. Of the stimulant effect of warmth on the 
growth of fish, as well as longevity, a few illustrations may be interesting. 
The herrings, taken collectively, says Swainson, are a small fish, few 
exceeding in size that which is so well known on our own coasts; yet 
they have been found in the tropical seas to attain the gigantic length of 
ten or twelve feet. The eels of Surinam are found 15 or 16 feet long. The 
largest cod caught on our shores weigh 60 or 70 lbs. In the Pacific they 
increase to 100 lbs. The pike is notoriously long-lived, and in individual 
instances attains most extraordinary dimensions. Some doubt is thrown 
on Gesner’s account of the one said to have inhabited Heilbrun lake 250 
years, yet he assures us its skeleton, 19 feet long, was long preserved as 
