‘Whilst to my mind the only feasible explanation of the narrative of the crew of the _Pauline_ must be founded on the idea that the animals observed by them were gigantic snakes, the habits of the animals in attacking the whales evidently point to a close correspondence with those of terrestrial serpents of large size, such as the boas and pythons; whilst the fact of the animals being described in the various narratives as swimming with the head out of the water would seem to indicate that, like all reptiles, they were air-breathers, and required to come more or less frequently to the surface for the purpose of respiration.’ Apology is due to so eminent a physiologist for having first given expression to my own opinion on the _Pauline_ serpent, though in tardily quoting a high authority I may risk suspicion of plagiarism. I must be permitted to explain, therefore, that on seeing the subject ventilated in _Land and Water_ (to which I had for some years been a contributor on ophidian matters), I also, though uninvited, prepared a paper on ‘the sea serpent.’ In a letter to the Editors, I even presumed to criticise part of what had lately appeared, enclosing MS. with yet more. In reply, I was informed that the subject would not be continued or ‘re-opened,’ and my returned MS. is still before me, much of it now for the first time being presented to the public. To proceed with Dr. Wilson:— ‘The most important feature in my theory, ... and that which really constitutes the strong point of this explanation, is the probability of the development of a huge or gigantic size of ordinary marine serpents.... ‘Is there anything more improbable, I ask, in the idea of a gigantic development of an ordinary marine snake into a veritable giant of its race; or, for that matter, in the existence of distinct species of monster sea serpents, than in the production of huge cuttle-fishes, which, until within the past few years, remained unknown to the foremost pioneers of science? In the idea of the gigantic developments of snakes or snake-like animals, be they fishes or reptiles, I hold we have at least a feasible and rational explanation of the primary fact of the actual existence of such organisms.’ In a most interesting lecture on ‘Zoological Myths,’ delivered at St. George’s Hall, January 2, 1881, Dr. Andrew Wilson again laid much stress on the ‘gigantic development of an ordinary marine snake into’ one of those amazing individuals which, say, at the very least, are over a hundred feet in length!