The sun., 1883-12-16
THE GENUINE SEA SERPENT.
NOR so BIG As NAY RE IMAGINED, BUT
UNMISTiKdBLY REAL
stories Of n Truth-tsiiinR Mariner OF Sea
OF snakes, Including One that swept the


ldy article"
We tumbled down tho compan ionway and
took n seat on a camp stool whilo the sailor
overhauled his traps In rch OF the monster.
Il hav'n't overhahed things since We come
In, /" said he. and when take UP hunt for
things after rough voyage l generally look
for om lust In the places whore ye'd think 1t
impossible for 'em to git to. Bad weather and
big seas does curious things. See these ere
berths." pointing to the two shelves behind the
reporter. Wall. last voyage the second mate
and me came down below one night. lcavin' the
skipper and third mate on deck. Bill took the
top berth and l turned in below. We were
rollin' sot the topsail yurds touched water. and
the next mornin' when woke up ut four bells
was in the top berth and BIZ in bolOw. The
same sea carried away the galley. and"
You mean." interrupted the reporter. that
you were both thrown out. and changed places
without knowing 1t in the air2"
Exactly" said the mariner. fumbling under
the mattress. Curious. wasn'tity But bless
ye. man! that amt nothin' to what happens
aboard ship. That same night every mans
hammock had u twist in it. and the compass
was bottom side up In the mornin. and o
course. pointed north instead OF south. and
took us 500 miles out OF our course afore we
found it out"
gested his listener.
That's Just the pint" said the sailor. taking
out big bottle from under "bilgy" pillow. 1T
was SO black Tor two weeks that We took the
lis that tho sen serpent? ?" asked tho re-
porter. changing the subject, as tho sailor
placed an nlcohoi-Teserved snake on the table
He nin't hundred iathoms long, was the
that and the only one. reckon. that's likely
The snake was about four feet long. OF dark
gray color and appeared much ike snakes in
common. with the one, exception that its tail
paddle. Altogether 1t was very fai ir sort OF Il
serrncnt thonsh not much as regards size.
might cont inued the sailor. lifting the
bottle w and gazing ut Il ailecionately, iull
to and toll yc nuil lot o lies about where soc
coddin laaismen MES jsst AS as babies taxes to to
milk. but I'm goin to give 1t to .ye right OH the
loS. 1t was in June, il don't !Isremenbcr
Straits of Sundy with a load o grain. 1t was
what they call warm out there. All the folks
eggs by eavin' 'em in the sun. The VERY pitch
on the deck seams OF the ole brig was hissin
awnin for'ard. and WAS stretched out one OF
em readin' Dr. Kane's adventures a-tryin' to
II think we was n-makin' about four knots.
| risin' aud !a!!n, tor,ard with kind of II slnsii,
iouled su,hin' in the fore chains. Invent iornrd
and squeezed in among the men what was n
100 I'm, @ I"w ut the ana tnsrs sec
eyes on 4iore. At first sight the water seemed
jist piled up with snakes. and ye'd have thought
WIS hanxin' to the chain. and u big teller was
| wound in the lackass halyard Jac hass! Why
hole. Wall. to cone to the pint. there was
snakes enough to have stopped a good sized
small boat a-writhin, and tos>n'. wriIsltn'
| away, pilin' up ahead. hoppin' out o water.
and dnrtin' hcre and there. and. tel ye. it was
enough to make ye sick to think Q, failn'
peeiay when they see 4 ug one hangin on tho
chains that took out tho harpoon and lat ,,em
| have 1t. Drop 1t anywhere and yed strike 'ein
mensurin' from two loot up t. six foot. aud
Eye no doubt there was heaps Of EN- longer.
caught with Il hook and line. No. he dilu't
bite; thY hook got caught accIdentai- like in his
jaw and hauled ed. i on b2ard fetched it in
men. Ono of 'em picked up q beinyin pin. and
then the fun commenced. Tho critter lest kind
Ssh is aRs h ehs aa9 With RS bs1n SF h
pin and would have II hadn't got in tho slack
Of the line and give II q JERK; Then the eri,ter
srsased lishinin. israbbed ; sanstan psf b%r and
lit for it, while tho men, who was now hangin,'
ss ,n sp ;ci ana Tor rsnnH %"ats Ia ,sv i! Tss
snake after me; and ,koepin' this W Two or
| three times it. got the line foul. and killed it
with the bar. Thcre it is. every inch II fighter
| Dever.say.die sort OF a chap. that yc don I
want to meet every day in tic, week; and IN
swar IL them ere suckers had got aboard the
brig they's have cleaned us out. .snrtin sure. |
rnckon we was three days gettin' clear of 'em.
| They gradually thinned out, and at last We left
'eul. Now. that amt much for excitement. and
seq sarnint yarns; but i Is solid" uu,,., ,,,,
! once lively scn serpent. and. 10 cinch the mat
! ter rs to its sea-goinE propenSl ties. showed 1t
to a naturalist. who may be- said to be UP on
snakes in IA Legitimate sense.
Yes. " he replied to n query. that is reg
uar ocean snake-sen serpent. II you will as
Scientifically they belong to the family ~
| dridT. That. you see. refers to their aquatic
habits They not only live in salt wn,"r. but in
fresh. though they are entirely different from
what we know Us water SNAKES. The XVi,iir
are adapted by certain physical pecnilnrities
the celebrated naturalist their whole organi-
| cation proves that they are destined only to
on land, Their body. in order more chsliy 10
cleave the waves becomes slender toward tho
tened toward the tail. The belly is narrow aud
most frequently prolonged into,a more or less
absolutely similar to tho keel OF a ship The
tail short. bui 50 coinpres.ed or llattrned as To
iosomotion; iorS by this his form. BY by is il.
yertica! position. and its great degree o'
| n"Xibility lHteray. it exercises ut once the
double function OF oar and rnddar IN" head
is small, more or less elongated. conical to-
portion ns the neck. so that it is we'll llttcd lot
overcoming the resistance offered by the water
| The eyes. placed internally nre directed u little
upward md forward, and thus these serpnnts
are enabled to look in all directions, so ny 10 he
| able to seize their prey or escape the dangers
| they are inrcssauty threatened with. The
muZZls Is elongated into downward but
pointed shield. which closes the mouth. aud
| thuS prevents the water from entering: md in
order to effect respiration without the serprn,
having need to expose any part Of its body
out Of the water the nostrils nro placed
nenr each other, upon the, summit OF
membrnnous valve which opens to admit
tho air. and Closes 10 prevent the entrance
of the water. A single instnnt su1lces the
creature to perform the act Of breathing, which
| effected. II plunGcs again into the depths o;
the sea. the water If which cannnot enter eithcr
by tn. nostri!s or lhe month. the tongue is
much less developed IN the sea than he terres-
trial ssrpentI. As long ns they are below the
surface OF III" water. they never max. use ol
this organ Dnt when they ara out pf tho c,r
ment. and the animal l. blinded. rs it were. by
the light. 1t appears IT material use as icrl"r
The eyes are generally small. ana the pupil IL
always round. Tho mouth is only Of moderate
size and the jawhono Is sufficiently long 10
give room. in addition To tho tiBi,s. to Several
small. solid teeth Thus It follows that these
sea snakes cannOt erect their iHn.s mnci
NJ the vperine serpen;s, and in biting theii