The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-12-09
EVIDENCE FOR AND AGAINST THE
EXISTENCE OF THE SO.cALLED
SEA.SERPENT.

Though an animal SO named has been seen
BY many creditable witnesses on the coasts
of Norway and New England, and has been
believed in for centuries, all the
researches of naturalists have failed to dis
cover any remains of suoh creature, or to
obtain any satisfactory information as to its
size, proportions, appearance or habits.
There is, doubtless, much exaggeration in
the descriptions of the animal; but in view
of the great mass of testimony in favor of
its existence, the fact that we are by no
means cognizant Of all the forms of life in
the ocean, and also the certainty that in
former geological ages more than one type
existed to which this animal may bear some
resemblance it is fair to assume that there
may be portion Of truth at the foundation
of this question.
TAfter tracing the history of this animal
from Pontoppidan in the middle of the 9Th
century to the present time, and enumerat-
ing the numerous references to its appear
ance in Europe and America, and quoting
Prof. Owens remarks against its existence,
he brought in review the various alleged
sources Of error; none of these seemed to
him probable, considering the practiced
eyes of the principle witnesses to marine
OBJECTS. hlABT suOWluR tuaL WIS OnAnAAl
could not be referred to fishes nor to SER
penis, nor to any described form of living
reptiles or mammals, he drew attention TO the
fact that many early geological types had
been transmitted to the present time, with
or without interruption as the ces-
TRACTION, lepidosteus, chimaera, perconsis,
lingula, etc.
For the last thirty years it has been be-
lieved that the closest affinities Of the .'sea-
serpent" were with the enaliosaurians Of
The secondary age. and especially plesiosau-
rus. The mosasaurus, marine saurian OF
the cretaceons epoch, seems TO fill up still
better the requirements Of this rnifnal.
Prof. Agassiz, in 1649, in lecture in Phil
adelphia is reported TO have said: Il
have asked myself whether there is not such
an animal as the sea- serpent. There are
many who will doubt the existence of such
a creature until it can be brought under
the dissecting knife; but it has been by SO
many on whom we may rely that it Is wrong
10 doubt any longer. The truth is that if q
naturalist had TO sketch the outlines Of ich-
thvosaurus or plesiosaurus from the re.
mains we have seen of them, he would make
a drawing very similar TO the sea serpent
as i; has been described. There is reasor
to believe that the part. arc soft and perish
able. but still consider it probable tina. il
will be the good fsrtsne Of some person OF
the coast Of Norway or North America 4
| find . living representative Of this type Q
reptile, which IS thought to have died cat.
| In his Geological Researches" 1871, Prot
/ Agassiz writes, twenty-five years later
If there exists any animal in our water
not vet knowa to naturalists, answering +
the description Of the .sra-serpeat, it mus
BE closely allied to the plesiosanrus. Tn
occurrence in the fresh waters Of Mort
America Of FISH. the lepidesteous. whic
is closely allied to the fossil fishes foun
with the plesiosaurus in the Jurassic beds
renders such supposition probable"
Il The undoubted rarity Of such an amin,
would account for the failure Of any frae
ment to find Its way into collections; man
ceiaceans are 50 uncoamsn that only sing
| specimens have ever been seen by natura
lists, and some have been entirely unknow
until within fifty years Inhabiting Il
ocean, the chances Or is body floating lor
enough for any Psrt to be east On sho'
would be very small: the rocky coasts whit
it seems TO frequent are unfavorable 4
. the accidental casting-ug Of any fragmen
: In the present creation, we're it NOT for u
i persecution Of man, the bones Of seals q
: whales, Of the beaver, Of the cougar,
J monkeys and elephants. would hardly e.
| Be found in The pisces thickly Inhabited
them. The non-sccuTreace Of any ffa
i meats, tkeEsfsss, is.ef little weight y q