Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-17
ABOUT SEA SERPENTS.
DIR. Theodore Gill Doubts Whether
There Are Giant Species.

DIR. Theodore Gill Doubts whether
There Are Giant Species.
us there such thing as sea serpent?.
Yes. indeed, there are many species of sea
serpents well known to naturalists."
This was the answer given yesterday by
DR.. Theodore Gill, the eminent naturalist
OF the Smithsonian. to the question above
repeated. DR.. Gill is known in scientific
circles as the highest American authority
On fishes and other creatures OF the sea.
He is quoted In all of the worlds standard
works on ichthyology, besides having writ
ten numero Is volumes himself devoted to
that particular branch of his life-study.
He has given much attention to sea SER
penis, and has revealed many interesting
facts concerning them in his writings and
lectures.
$50 you place credence in the many state
ments lately come to hand concerning the
appearance of the monster sea serpent in
Long Island sound?"
Il do not by any means. As soon as I
read the accounts of the large snake found
at Blackwelrs Island l told several fellow
members of the Cosmos Club that it was a
large python, or rock snake There are 10
monster sea serpents. There is no animal
of gigantic size now living in the seq which
could be properly classed as a serpent or
even reptile. There is, however, an
abundance of sea serpents in the eastern
seas and along the Pacific coasts of tropf-
cal America.
There are enough of them in these parts
to annoy and threaten the lives of sailors
who frequ INT the waters. but they are very
small creatures, as compared with the sea
serpents which We read about in popular
literature. Most of these are known to
scientists as nydridae, which means sea
snakes, or, il you like, sea serpents. They
include numerous families inhabiting the
salt water estuaries and tidal streams Of
the Indian and Pacific oceans, from NADIA
n he TSt pf Par
Some of them are as much as twelve feet
long. They are very poisonous, and 1 have
heard that sailor, once bitten by one.
died within an hour and a quarter. They
have conspicuously small heads and bodies.
somewhat like the land snakes but particu-
larry thick in their hind half, and very
compressed and fat, or oar-like, at the
tail They live entirely in the sea, and
when thrown upon shore are helpless and
almost blind. These sea serpents are fire.
quently seen in great numbers swimming
close to the surface of the water.
But is it not possible that there are giant
animals of this kind rowing the seas which
have not yet been found by scientlsts?"
Yes. there is a possibility. but no proba-
hility, that such an animal still exists. 1t Is
possible that a giant selachian may be
found related to the frilled shark of Japan.
This would have an eel-like body, fin back
of the head, and If very long would agree
to some extent with descriptions of tie
great sea serpent AS a matter OF fact,
there was discovered not MANY years ago
a small snake-like shark, resembling the
gray sharks found in the Pacific. This
would have an eel-like tail and a fin extend-
ing from the back, behind the head
Then there are also the ancient Zeuglo-
donts, with their long tails and horizontal
caudal fins, like those of the whales. It
may be that one of these with a long neck
still exists, having outiived his ancestors of
millions of years ago. During the geologi-
cal period known as the eocene tertiary,
which was many millions of years back,
there were living in the seas zeuglodonts
somewhat resembling serpents Some OF
these were perhaps nearly forty or fifty
feet long, but none of them could swim in
the water with vertical undulations or be
adorned with the name, both of which are
associated with the mythical monster. But,
as I said, all of this is a mere possibility,
according to the laws Of nature. There is
no probability that any one will ever enjoy
the sight of any Of these possibilities
Now. suppose a summer tourist or su-
perstitious mariner should catch sight Of a
giant basking shark, such as inhabi.s the
north seas? These often measure more than
thirty feet in length. 1t is frequently the
case that they travel in pairs, one following
the other. The front portion of one and
the hind portion Of the other of these ap-
pearing above the water at the same time
would be sufficient to scare any unsuspect-
ing observer. / remember hearing Prof.
Simon Newcomb, our eminent astronomer,
telling how he once thought he saw the
veritable sea serpent Off Cape Ann. But the
supposed monster resolved itself into q
school Of porpoises, one following the 9th.
err"