Norm

Map makers sometimes deliberately put errors on maps to make it easier to
prove that someone has copied their work.  These are usually called
"bunnies", but also called "map traps".  The sea serpent to which you refer
seems atypical for a bunny - so obvious that it doesn't fulfill the bunny
function - and more likely was put there for personal reasons known only to
the map maker.  Perhaps he/she (or a friend) thought he saw chessie there,
or had some other special incident occur there, or just wondered how long
it would take before someone noticed it.  There is no accounting for the
vagaries of the human mind....

Paul

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