The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-13
ABOUT SEA
DIR. Theodore Gill Doubts Whether
There Are Giant Species.

| washington star.
Us there such a thing as a sea serpent?
Yes, indeed; there are many species or sea
serpents well known TO naturalists."
This was the answer given TO a reporter
by DR.. Theodore GIL, the eminent natural
list OF the Smithsonian, 10 the question
above DR.. Gill is known in scientific cir
cles as the highest American authority on
fishes and other creatures of the sea. He
has given much attention to sea serpents,
and has revealed a interesting facts
concerning them in his writings and lectures.
you place credence in the many
statements 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 l
read the accounts OF the large snake 1ound
at island / told several fellow
members of the Cosmos Club that it was a
large python, or rock snake. There are no
of gigantic size now living in the sea which
could be properly classed as a serpent or
even a reptile. There is. however. an
abundance of sea serpents in the eastern
seas and along the Pacific coasts OF tropical
There are enough of them in these parts
TO annoy and threaten the lives OF sailors
who frequent the waters, but they are very
small creatures as compared with the sea
serpents which we read about In popular
scientists as hydridae, which means sea
makes, or, II you like, sea serpents. They
Include numerous families inhabiting the
salt water estuarles and tidal streams of
the Indian and Pacific oceans, from NADIA
gascar 10 the isthmus Of Panama.
Some of them are as much as twelve
feet long. They are very poisonous, and L
have heard that a sailor once bitten by one
died within an hour and a quarter. They
have conspicuously small heads and bodies.
somewhat like the and snakes, but par
ticularly 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 frequently
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 scientists?'
Yes, there IS a possibility, but no proba-
bility that such an animal still exists. 1t is
possible hat a giant selachian may be
found related to the frilled shark of Japan.
This would nave an eel-like body, fin back
of the head, and II very long. would agree
to some extent with the descriptions of the
great sea serpent AS a matter or fact,
there was discovered not many years ago
a small snake-like shark resembling the
gray sharks found in the Pacific. This would
nave an eel-like tail and a An extending
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. 1t
may be that one of these with a long neck
still exists, having loutlived his ancestors CT
cal period known as the eocene tertiary,
which was many millions of years back,
there were living in the seas zeuglodonts
iSSSihOAhS ociPcntS roihS VI
these were perhaps forty or fifty feet long,
but none of them could swim in the water
with vertical undulations or be adorned
with tie name, both Of which are asso-
ciated with the mythical monster. But, as I
said, all of this is a mere possibility. ac-
cording 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 SUI
perstitious mariner should catch sight Of a
giant basking shark. such as inhablts 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-
above the water at the same time
would be sufficient to scare any unsuspect-
ing observer. l remember hearing Prof.
Simon Newcomb. our eminent astronomer
telling how he once tn ought he saw the
sea serpent off Cape Ann. But the
monster resolved itself into a
of porpoises, one following the other.