The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-02-23
NO 0sA-sRRPRNr.
Dst There are Several Strange lls.
rine Animals That Look Like at.


The question Of the existence Of the
''sea-serpent" is solely one Of fact.
There Is no prior reason why such rep
tiles could not exist, and creatures to
which such a name would apply did
exist in abundance in mesozoic times.
Nevertheless, although there have been
many reports Of the discovery Of the
'tsea serpents," there is not at present
the slightest positive evidence to provo
that such creature HOW inhabits the
sea. It Is not within the realm Of pro-
liability that any marine reptile of
large size other than sea turtles now
exist.
The sea has been as fully explored
as the land The fishes of the sea, from
the surface to the depth Of five miles.
are rs well known as the animals Of
similar size on any of the continents
except Europe. The larger animals
which swim near the surface in the
open ocean are for tho most part we'll
known and have been known ever
since oceanic navigation began. Pro-
baby not half a dozen species of ma
rine animals reaching q length Of Is
feet have been discovered in our CEN
fury. Most Of those now known were
known to the ancients.
The sea-serpcnt stories may be clas'
sified as follows:
1. Pure inventions, forecastle yarns.
etc
2. Alcoholisms.
3. Stories with a foundation Of fact,
the basis being seal, fragment Of a
wreck, n long strip Of kelp, or some
other natural object mistaken for q
serpent.
4. Practical Jokes, as the India.rub.
Der sel-sc~pent seen on Silver Lake,
N. Y, about 1855. This appeared usu-
ally in the evening and in sight of the
..ynda of the hotel.
j. The great oarfish, or king Of the
behring's Qtegalecus glesne) This Is q
long, slender, ribbon-shaped fish of the
open sea. 1t swims in swift undula-
lions. with great speed, OH the surface
of the water 1t reaches length Of 20
feet or more. The dOrsal fin on Its
head forms high crest, like the name
Of a horse. and the fish is altogether n
striking object 1t has been but once
taken in American waters, u specimen
having come ashore in Bermuda some
years ago. This fish Is remotely allied
to the mackercl. According to DR..
Goolc, all the sea-serpcnts with "up.
reared heads and the name Of O horse"
can he referred to Rcgalecus.
A smaller fish Of this type, too small
to seem like serpent, is occasionally
taken off our coast and known rs king
Of the salmon Crrachypterus rex-sal-
monorum). The Chinook Indians be-
lieyc that II this fish is caught the sal
mon wall cease running. A similar
noxious influence Is eXertcd by the
birth of twins. Other swift-lnoving,
ribbon.sllaped surface fishes, Us the
threaded, the cutlass fish, etc, have
been reported as young sca-serpents.
6. The great frill-silark (Chlamydose-
lachus anguineus) has been reported ds
sea serpent. 1t was correctly drawn
as such by a Maine fisherman before Its
occurrence in the Atlantic Ocean was
known. This is very rare shark, as
slim and flexible rs n snake, and grow
to be Is feet or more in length. 1t has
the general structure Of the shark, or
rather of the extinct shark, for one has
to go back to the carboniferous age to
find any like him. This shark, with its
frill of gills about its neck, is one Of
the rarest Of fishes. only about four ex.
listing in collections. 1t is thought to
be the Oldest living vertebrate, for all
other sharks of similar structures have
long since passed away. 1t is the or
iginal of the sel-serpent that swims
low. with its head under water
Z. The great killer, or gladiator (Or-
caorca). This creature IL water
mammal allied to the porpOise and dol
phin. 1t is very swift and strong, and
of so savage a disposition that 1t is tho
terror of whales, seals sharks, sword
fishes and Of large fishes generally. 1t
reaches length Of 20 to 80 feet. 1t is
ordinarily detested by fishermen, but
this summer it served them good turn
by rounding up" in Monterey Bay the
shoals Of salmon from the neighbOring
ocean.
In its spitefui attack Ga the whale
and it will kill even tho biggest Of
them-it has been taken for sea-ser-
pent. Its word shaped dorsal fin, some
q feet high, helps on the illusion. All
/ the sea-serpents which attack whales.
choking them in their gigantic folds"
and flashing the water for rods into
bloody foam," are doubtless killers.
s. Venomous little snakes exist in
the Indian Ocean. These are we'll
Known and are never taken for sea
serpents."
The above record includes oil the sea-
serpents Of which have seen records
up to date.-Prof. ID. S. Jordan In the
San Francisco Examiner.