Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18
y FREDERIC A. LUCAS
Director of the Museum of the Brooklyn O
Arts ndS

such animal exists. l will not
say that they wrong; but it
certainly seems to not unlikely that they may
be mistaken; for undeniably far greater mass
of sworn testimony in the creatures behalf has been
placed on record than would be necessary to prove
any ordinary case in court of law. Let us give
the seaserpent the fair chance it deserves render
ing judgment the evidence just as If any other
question under consideration
1t is not necessary to prove that the creature is
serpent. In my opinion, if it exists, it almost
tainly is not snake, and probably not reptile
at all. Supposing that there is such animal it
may be gigantic fish of peculiar FORM as yet I'M
known to science; it may be mammal, or it may
be even mollusk. These various possibilities l
presently shall have an opportunity to discuss.
Meanwhile let consider the question whether
there is any known animal that corresponds to the
familiar descriptions of the sea-serpent-descrip-
tons which, it must be admitted agree to sur
prisng extent. The reply must be a negative as
far as any creature recognized surviving is
concerned. But the other hand there is one
animal, supposed to be extinct but possibly not So
which, if it still lives, would to all important
specifications in the | refer to the zeuglodon.
We have excellent reasons for believing that the
zeuglodon, mammal related to the modern tribe
of SEALS ceased exist before the close of the early
Tertiary, to which period it belonged but
not be perfectly sure.
1t is hardly necessary to say that the sea-serpent
if it exists, is to be recognized not a single ind-
vidual behed from time time it travels through
various seas, but as gigantic marine Species pos
sibly not uncommon in the depths of the ocean,
though rarely at the surface. The creature
according to popular tradition, is seventy feet
in length; it has enormously long tail; its
head -four five feet long, perhaps) is small in
proportion to its vast bulk and owing to the pc
cuiar structure of the neck is reared easily to a
considerable height above the water
This description corresponds perfectly to that
of the zeuglodon, whose bones found to-day
scattered along southern coasts in Alabama and
elsewhere. In its day it numerous Species
inhabiting the marine shadows Undoubtedly it
exceedingly predatory and ferocious 1t pos
sessed two powerful fippers in front, for use in
swimming (Inany sea-serpent is credited with
such fippers, by the way), and along its neck
arranged in pairs number of large, bony scale
like plates.
1t is not necessary to go back into the geologic
past, however, in order to find animal which,
making due allowance for errors of human obser-
walton, may be regarded as presenting fair like
to the traditional sea-serpent. Such creature
now hves-the calamary, giant squid. 1t is
mollusk, related to the common cuttlefishes, and
while and little known is certainly one of the
largest and most formidable of existing creatures
full grown specimen has eyes foot in diameter
the largest eyes probably that ever belonged to an
animal unless the ichthyosaur be excepted-and in
mighty tentaces sixty to eighty feet in length,
with which to grasp its prey. The poor fisherman
of the Indian Ocean greatly breads this monster
Such squids comparatively plentiful in those
seas. and he never knows at what moment he may