THE SEA SERPENT AGAIN.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3087, 9 January 1879, Page 1

THE SEA SERPENT AGAIN.

' Dr Joseph Drew> writes to Nattoe.';— ; ■ "On Monday, August 5, a number pf ! geologists crossed ill the -Folkestone' boat to; Boulogne* to stud^r* the interesting ' formations of that neighborhood, and when about three or four miles from the French coast one of these gentlemen suddenly exclaimed, ....'JLoojkat,that. extrjior&inarjv object passing across the bow of the steamer, about a mil© or a mile and a half in i advance of m.' l Otis turning in - this direction there- was seen an immense serpent, apparently about a furlong in length, rushing furiously along at the rate of 15 or 20 miles an hour; it was blackish in front and paler behind; its elongated body was fairly on the surface of the water, and it progressed with.an undulating or quivering motion— mirum erat spectaculumsane. Of course many suppositions were immediately started to account for th^s extraordinary phenomenon, but they quickly changed and settled into the fixed idea that the object before them could be nothing less than the great sea-serpent himself. The writer, fortunately, had . with, him one of Baker's boat operaglasses, and,, after a few moments use of . this little instrument, the wonder was satisfactory resolved. The first half of the monster was dark and glittering «nd the remainder of fainter hue, gradually fading towards the tail. The glass did not determine the matter'until the'extreme end was reached, and then it was seen to consist of a mass of birds in rapid motion; those that were strong on the wing were able to keep well up with the leaders, and so made the head appear thicker and darker by their numbers, while those that had not such power of flight were compelled to settle into • places nearer and nearer the tail. Doubtless these birds were shags (Pelicanus cristatps) returning to their homes for the night irom the distant waters in which they had been fishing during the day. Perchance it may be wrong to assert positively as to the variety of birds ; but inasmuch at the

wumr has often seen shags on the Cornish coast in smaller numbers returning in single or double file to their roosting places, and since it is stated in works of natural history that they have been no* ticed occasionally flying in this peculiar manner to the number of 1,000 or more, it does not appear an unwarranted liberty in supposing that they really were Pelieani cristati."