Part 112

141.--1873, Nov. 16?--Near Dunrobin castle, east coast of Sutherland, Scotland.--Lady FLORENCE LEVESON GOWER and the Hon. Mrs. COKE.

142.--1873, Nov. 17?--Near Golspie, east coast of Sutherland, Scotland.--Dr. SOUTAR.

143.--1873, Nov. 18?--The same locality.--Mr. JAMES.

144.--1875, July 8.--Lat. 5° 13′ S., long. 35° W., twenty miles from Cape San Roque.--Captain DREVAR, of the barque Pauline, HORATIO THOMPSON, JOHN HENDERSON LANDELLS, WILLIAM LEWARN, OWEN BAKER.

145.--1875, July 13.--Lat. 5° S., long 34° 10′ W., eighty miles from Cape San Roque.--The same witnesses.

146.--1876, September 11.--Fifteen miles north west of North Sand Lighthouse, in the Malacca Straits.--JOHN K. WEBSTER, Captain of the British s. s. Nestor, and Mr. JAMES ANDERSON.

147.--1877, May 21.--Lat. 2° N., long. 90° 53′ E., Indian Ocean.--The master of the barque GEORGINA.

148.--1877, June 2.--Off Cape Vito, Sicily.--Commander PEARSON of H. M. Yacht Osborne, Mr. DOUGLAS HAYNES, Mr. FORSYTH, and Mr. MOORE.

149.--1879, January 28.--Lat. 12° 28′ N., long 43° 52′ E., Gulf of Aden.--Major H. W. J. SENIOR, Dr. C. HALL, Miss. GREENFIELD, on board the s. s. City of Baltimore.

150.--1879, March 30.--In Geographe Bay, Australia, near Lockville and Busselton.--Rev. H. W. BROWN, Mr. C. M’GUIRE and his wife, Mr. M’MULLAN.

151.--1879, April 5.--Cape Satano, the most southern point of Japan, distant about nine miles.--Captain DAVISON, Mr. MC. KECHNIE, of the Kiushiu Maru.

152.--1879, August 5.--100 miles west of Brest, France.--Captain J. F. COX, of the Privateer.

152 A.--1881, Nov. 12?--Near Monillepoint, not far from Cape Town.--Mr. C. M. HANSEN, his wife and children, and several of his neighbours.

153.--1882, May 28.--About six miles W.N.W. of Butt of Lewis (the northern point of the Hebrides or Western Islands).--Some fishermen.

154.--1882, May 31.--The same locality.--Mr. WEISZ of the Lloydsteamer Kätie, Mr. ANDREW SCHULTZ.

155.--1882, September 3.--Near Orme’s Heads, northern coast of Wales, Irish Sea.--Mr. W. BARFOOT, Mr. F. J. MARLOW, Mrs. MARLOW, and several other ladies and gentlemen.

156.--1883, October 15.--Bristol Channel.

157.--1885, August 16.--Between Rödö and Melö Isles, Nordland, Norway, at lat. 66° 35′ N., long. 13° 21′ E.--Some lads.

158.--1886, August.--Near Kingston Point on the Hudson, New Jersey, U. S. A.--Two young men.

159.--1886, August.--Near the east coast of U. S. A.

160.--1886, August.--Near the east coast of U. S. A.--JONAH.

161.--1889, May.--In the common track from Liverpool to Philadelphia.--A captain.

162.--1890, June.--Near Long Island, not far from the coast of Connecticut.--Captain DAVID TUITS of the schooner Anny Harper.

* * * * *

In these reports nearly all is very probable from a zoological point of view, and there is but little that must be looked upon as fabulous.

Some statements, which at first seem to us to be exaggerations, we unhesitatingly accept as truths, when we have taken a review of all the reports together; either because they are constantly repeated, or because they are confirmed by highly respectable testimonies of recent date.

What now follows is an abstract of the 166 reports, enumerated above. The numbers in brackets correspond with those placed in the list given above, consequently also with those in my 4th. Chapter. Let us first speak of the improbable things.

A. Fables, Fictions, Exaggerations and Errors.