The Great Sea-Serpent

TheGreatSea-Serpent. AnHistoricalAndCriticalTreatise. WithTheReportsOf187Appearances(IncludingThoseOfTheAppendix), TheSuppositionsAndSuggestionsOfScientificAndNon-ScientificPersons, AndTheAuthor’sConclusions. With82Illustrations. By A.C.OUDEMANS,JZN., DoctorOfZoologyAndBotany,MemberOfTheZoologicalSociety OfTheNetherlands,DirectorOfTheRoyalZoologicalAndBotanicalSociety (ZoologicalGardens)AtTheHague. ArmentBiologicalPress ThisElectronicPublicationisareprintofA.C.Oudeman’s TheGreatSea-Serpent,first publishedbyE.J.Brill(Leiden)andLuzac&Co.(London)in1892.Thecurrentpublisher hasattemptedtoretainallpertinenttextandfigures,butformatchangeswerenecessary. Becausepaginationhaschanged,textreferenceswillnotnecessarilyrefertospecificpages inthiselectronicdocument.InternallinkshavebeencreatedfortheTableofContents.If youareviewingthisdocumentwithAdobeAcrobatReader®,justclickonthelinks. SpecialNote:Thispublicationinoriginalformisinfamousforpoorgrammar,spelling, andpunctuation.Thecurrentpublicationretainsmostoftheoriginaltext,asdrasticchanges wouldextinguishthecharmoftheoriginalmanuscript,butafewminorchangeswere madewhendeemedappropriate. Thiselectronicreprintis©2000byArmentBiologicalPress. Theoriginaltextisinthepublicdomain,howeverallchanges,formattingandpresentation ofthispublicationarecopyrightedbythecurrentpublisher. ISBN1-930585-00-4 ArmentBiologicalPress Landisville,PA www.herper.com/ebooks/ ThisVolume is Dedicated to OwnersofShipsandYachts, SeaCaptains and Zoologists “Itisalwaysunsafetodenypositivelyanyphenomenathat maybewhollyorinpartinexplicable;andhenceIamcontent tobelievethatonedaythequestionwillbesatisfactorilysolved.”— A.G.Melville.(Seep.397ofthepresentvolume.) Voyagersandsportsmenconversantwithphotographyarerequestedtotake theinstantaneousphotographoftheanimal:thisalonewillconvince zoologists, whilealltheirreportsandpencil-drawingswillbereceivedwithashrugofthe shoulders. Astheseanimalsareveryshy,itisnotadvisabletoapproachthemwitha steamboat. Theonlymannertokilloneinstantlywillbebymeansofexplosiveballs,or byharpoonsloadenwithnitro-glycerine;butasitmostprobablywillsink,when dead,likemostofthePinnipeds,theharpooningofitwillprobablybemore successful. Ifanindividualiskilled,takethefollowingmeasurements:—1.Lengthof theheadfromnose-tiptoocciput.—2.Lengthoftheneckfrom occiputto shoulders.—3.Lengthofthetrunkfromshoulderstotail-root.—4.Lengthofthe tailfromtail-roottoend.—5.Distancefromshoulderstofore-flappers—6.Distance fromshoulderstothickestpartofthebody.—7.Lengthofafore-flapper.—8.Length ofahind-flapper.—9.Circumferenceofthehead.—10.Circumferenceofthe neck.—11.Circumferenceofthethickestpartofthebody.—12.Circumference ofthetail-root. Giveadescriptionoftheanimal,especiallyanaccurateoneofthehead,the fore-flappersandthehind-flappers,and,ifpossible,makeasketch. Ifbutbarelypossible,preservethewholeskeleton,andthewholeskin,but ifthisisutterlyimpracticable,keepthecleanedskull,thebonesofoneofthe fore-flappersandthoseofoneofthehind-flappers,fourorfivevertebraeof differentpartsofthebackbone,neck,andtail;andpreservetheskinofthe head,andaribbonofaboutafootbreadthalongthewholebackoftheneck, thetrunk,andthetail. Preface. Inallagesmeteoricstoneshavefallenontheearth.Manyofthemwere foundbypersonswhowereinsearchofthem;theypreservedthem,andthus collectionsweremadeinprivateraritycabinetsandinnaturalhistorycabinets. Manylearnedpersonsbelievedinmeteoricstones,butmanyothers were sceptical,andtheirattacksweresoviolent,andtheirmockeryaboutstones thatfellfromtheatmosphere,orwerethrownbythemenintheMoontothe inhabitantsoftheEarth,sosharpastoshakethebeliefofmanyacollector,and thehappypossessor,fearingthemockeryofthesocalledlearned men, concealedhistreasures,orthrewthemawayonthedust-hill,orinaditch. Butatlastthereappearedafirmbelieverinaerolites,namedChladni,who tookthetroubletocollectallaccountsconcerningobservationsofmeteoric stonesfromtheancienttimesuptothenineteenthcentury.Heshowed1.The immensenumberoffacts.2.Thestrikinglyconcurrenttestimonyinallthe accountsindependentofoneanother. Inthe year1829hepublishedhiswork“UeberFeuermeteore” (i.e.on MeteoricStones)inVienna,andfromthatmomenttheeyesofunbelievers wereopened.Meteoricstoneswereagainfound,andwereprovedtobequite differentfromterrestrialstones.Fromthatmomentthebeliefintheexistence ofmeteoricstoneswasfixedforever. TheauthorofthepresentVolumehasbeenatthepainstocollectall accountsconcerningobservationsofSea-Serpents.Hisworkhasthesame purposeasChladni’shadin1829.Itishissincerehopethatitmaymeetwith thesamesuccess. TheHague, A.C.O.Jzn. February1st,1891. Contents. Preface Listofillustrations I.Literatureonthesubject II.AttemptstodiscredittheSea-Serpent,cheatsandhoaxes III.Would-beSea-Serpents IV.ThevariousaccountsandreportsconcerningobservationsofSea-Serpents, chronologicallyarrangedandthoroughlydiscussed;andcriticismsonthe paperswrittenaboutthesubject V.Thevariousexplanationshithertogiven VI.Conclusions Listofobservations A.Fables,fictions,exaggerationsanderrors B.Facts 1.Externalcharacters a.Dimensions b.Form c.Skin 2.Internaloranatomicalcharacters 3.Colours,individualvariations 4.Sexualdifferences,mane 5.Physiologicalcharacters a.Nutritoryfunctions 1.Eating,food 2.Breathing 3.Excretion b.Functionsofthesenses 1.Feeling 2.Taste 3.Smell 4.Hearing 5.Sight c.Functionsofthemuscularsystem 1.Relativemobilityoforgans 2.Motions 3.Voice d.Generation,growth 6.Psychicalcharacters a.Nottakingnoticeofobjects b.Takingnoticeofobjects c.Curiosity,probablymixedwithsuspicion d.Suspicion e.Harmlessness f.Timidity g.Fearlessness h.Fear i.Fright j.Fury k.Toughness l.Playsomeness m.Sensibilityoffineweather 7.Enemies 8.Repose,sleep,death 9.Geographicaldistribution 10.Nomenclature C.Conclusions 1.Comparisonwithalliedanimals 2.ItsrankintheSystemofNature Appendix LastWord ListOfIllustrations. Fig.1.—Thynnusthynnus(Linn.) Fig.2.—HydrarchosSillimanniKoch. Fig.3and4.—Would-beSea-SerpentseennearGalveston Fig.5.—TheSea-Monster,asMr.C.Renardsupposedtohaveseenit Fig.6.—Thelargestcalamary,everfound,withascaleof80feet Fig.7.—TheAnimalofStronsa Fig.8.—Squalusmaximus,Linn. Fig.9.—Chimaeramonstrosa,Linn. Fig.10.—Lamnacornubica(Linn.) Fig.11.—Alargecalamary,swimmingonthesurfaceofthesea Fig.12.—Lineuslongissimus,Sow Fig.13.—Gymnetrusgladius,Cuv.Val Fig.14.—TheSea-Serpent,asrepresentedbyOlausMagnus Fig.15.—TheSea-Serpent,illustratingthetextofGesner Fig.16.—ThesecondSea-Serpent,illustratingthesamework Fig.17.—TheSea-Serpent,asrepresentedintheBasleeditionofOlausMagnus’ work Fig.18.—TheSea-Serpent,illustratingtheMapofScandinaviaintheBasle editionofOlausMagnus’work Fig.19.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyHansEgede,drawnbyMr.Bing Fig.20.—Thesameindividual,plungingbackintothewater Fig.21.—ThedrawingofMr.Bing,asreprintedandalteredinthe Illustrated LondonNewsof1848 Fig.22.—Mr.Bing’sdrawing,ascopiedbyPontoppidan Fig.23.—Mr.Bing’sdrawing,asalteredinDr.Hamilton’swork Fig.24.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyGovernorBenstrup Fig.25.—Mr.Benstrup’sdrawing,asalteredinDr.Hamilton’swork Fig.26.—TheSea-Serpent,asdelineatedbyMr.Prince Fig.27.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyMr.Warburton Fig.28.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbytheOfficersoftheDaedalus Fig.29.—Anothersketchofthesameindividual Fig.30.—Asketchoftheheadofthesameindividual Fig.31.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyanofficerofH.M.S.Plumper Fig.32,33,34and35.—TheSea-SerpentasseenbyCapt.Guy,oftheImogen Fig.36.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyCaptainsTremearneandMorgan Fig.37and38.—TwopositionsoftheSea-Serpent,asseenDr.Biccard Fig.39and40.—TwopositionsoftheSea-Serpent,asseenbytheRev.John MacraeandtheRev.DavidTwopeny Fig.41.—Theso-called“Fightbetweenasea-serpentandasperm-whale” Fig.42.—Anotherrepresentationoftheso-called“Fightbetweenasea-serpent andasperm-whale” Fig.43.—Thesperm-whalegoingdownheadforemosttothebottom Fig.44.—Theridgeoffins,mentionedinthereportoftheOsborne Fig.45.—TheSea-SerpentasseenbyCommanderPearsonandLieutenant HaynesoftheOsborne Fig.46.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenbyMajorSenioroftheCityofBaltimore Fig.47.—OutlineofthebackoftheSea-Serpent,asseenbytheRev.H.W. Brown Fig.48and49.—Twopositionsofthesea-serpent,asseenbyCaptainDavison oftheKiushiuMaru Fig.50.—TheSea-Serpent,asseenfromtheStettinLloydSteamer Kätienear theHebrides.DrawnunderthesupervisionoftheCaptain,Mr. Weisz,bytheAmericananimal-painterMr.AndrewSchultz Fig.51.—OutlineoftheSea-SerpentseennearLittleOrme’sHead,drawnby Mr.F.T.Mott,afterthreedifferentsketches Fig.52.—Phocaenaphocoena(Linn.) Fig.53.—Arowofporpoises Fig.54.—Scoliophisatlanticus.onesixthoffullsize Fig.55.—Itshead,fullsize Fig.56.—Hydrophispelamidoides Fig.57.—Balaenopteraphysalus(Linn.) Fig.58.—Ichthyosauruscommunis,skeleton Fig.59.—Ichthyosauruscommunis,restored Fig.60.—Plesiosaurusdolichodeirus.skeleton Fig.61.—Plesiosaurusdolichodeirus,restored Fig.62.—Chlamydosaurus Fig.63.—Iguanatuberculata Fig.64.—Catodonmacrocephalus Fig.65.—Basilosaurus,skeleton Fig.66.—Basilosaurus,restored Fig.67.—BasilosaurusasimaginedbyMr.SearlesV.Wood,Jun. Fig.68.—Eurypharynxpelecanoides,Vaillant Fig.69.—Macrorhinusleoninus(Linn.) Fig.70.—Positionofagiganticcalamary,bywhichMr.Henry Leeexplains Mr.Bing’sdrawing Fig.71.—ThrichechusmanatusLinné. Fig.72.—Sea-Serpent,sideview,outlines,drawnfromthedescriptions Fig.73.—Sea-Serpent,backview,outlines,drawnfromthedescriptions Fig.74.—Zalophuscalifornianus(Lesson}Allen?—DrawnbyW.P.froma livingspecimenintheBrightonAquarium.—Fromthe Illustrated LondonNewsofJan.6,1877 Fig.75.—Zalophuscalifornianus(Lesson)Allen?—DrawnbyW.P.froma livingspecimenintheBrightonAquarium—FromtheIllustrated LondonNews,ofJan.6,1877 Fig.76.—EumetopiasStelleri(Lesson)Peters.—Drawnbytheanimal-painter G.MützelfromalivingspecimenintheZoologicalGardensof Berlin.—FromtheIllustrirteZeitungofJan.27,1877

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