CONTENTS. 
Section I. 
Remarks on Past and Present State of Natural History—Use of the word 
“Monster ”—Erequent Illusory Appearances at Sea—Also, some Mysteries unre¬ 
solved—Yigia—Description of—-Instances—Aitkin’s Rock .... 7 
Section II. 
The Question for Present Consideration—Difficulties of—As to Dimension— 
Habitat—The Sea—Its Extent—Depths—Inhabitants—Sargossa Sea—Pressure 
of the Waters—Temperature—Effect on Animal Life—Instances of Gigantic 
Size—The Megatherium a Contemporary with Man—Longevity of Pish, and the 
Effect—Eagle Rays—Cephalopoda.. 
Section III. 
The Kraken. Ancient Superstitions—Pontoppidan’s Account—Probable Ex¬ 
planation by Refraction—Modern Accounts and Inquiries—Possible Class of 
Animal—Echinodermata—No such Creature as Pontoppidan’s Kraken—Strange 
Appearance in the Atlantic—Examination of that Account—Probable Asso¬ 
ciation of Yigia with Sea Monsters. 26 
Section IV. 
The Sea Serpent. Mythological and Legendary Tales—Modern Evidence be¬ 
comes more Definite—Hans Egede’s Account—Pontoppidan’s—The Am erican 
Accounts—Professor Silliman’s—Norwegian Accounts of the Present Day_ 
Result of Inquiries by British Travellers—The Instance off the Hebrides, in 
1809 —The Stronsa Animal—Evidence Examined—Speculation on the Class 
of this Animal.. 
Section V. 
The Sea Serpent— Continued. Difficulties of the Question—Rarity of Appear¬ 
ance—Parallel Instances—Northern Chimera Stenoptyx— Riband Eish—Whale 
of Havre—Possible Causes of Rare Appearance—Parasitical Infesters—Electric 
and Volcanic Agents—Destruction of Haddocks—Eishes of Ancient Geological 
Eormations—General Conclusions as to the Sea Serpent—Other Probabilities_ 
Submarine Animal Kingdom—Zoophytes—Surprising Eorms of Organic Life_ 
Agassiz’s Remark—Conclusion ..44 
Supplementary Section.. 
List of Plates.. . 63 
