Richard Muirhead is an old friend of the CFZ. I have been friends with him for 40 years now, since we were kids together in Hong Kong. He is undoubtedly one of the two best researchers I have ever met; he and Nigel Wright both have what Charlie Fort would have no doubt called a wild talent; a talent for going into a library, unearthing a stack of old newspapers, and coming back with some hitherto overlooked gem of arcane knowledge. Hello again folks; hope you`re all well!
I am presenting some cryptozoology and Forteana from various British natural magazines from the period 1905-1912, which I gleaned whilst an MA student in Oxford in the mid 1990s. A few of these may have been mentioned elsewhere but they have never been gathered together all in one place. They should provide a safe reference tool for anyone with the time to research and a decent library nearby. Country-side
June 17th 1905 p.89 African Viper, Denmark Hill (London?)
Brusher Mills. (a snake catcher in the New Forest) August 5th 1905. p.199
Odd coloured frog, N.Wales. December 9th 1905 p.55. “The frog described as having a back of a bright red colour, spotted with orange, and a pure white breast seen swimming in a brook in N.Wales, was an interesting colour variation of the common frog". Same page- bright yellow frog Hull.
July 21st 1906 p.160. Acclimatisation of River tortoise in Thames valley and elsewhere in England- carnivorous-dark shell with bright yellow dots.
September 1st 1906 p.230 A 2ft long grass snake killed in Ballymena.
October 13th 1906 p.298 A grey slow loris from China at London Zoo (1)
October 27th 1906 p.324 . “Sea creature off Scotland”
June 15th 1907 p.83 Cat headed sea snake
July 4th 1908 p.79 Another red British frog.
May 15th 1909 p.341 A little red viper
September 4th 1909.p.243 A little red viper in S.Wales
This is my favourite one: October 9th 1909 p.326 A type of African water snake with an “electrical battery” (sic) (2)
Country-side monthly
Exact date unknown. Vol 3 p.136 Magical cure from snake bite
December 18th 1909 p.71 Spanish terrapin (in UK) “uttering faint but distinct “mews” “like a young kitten. I think the sound is produced by the drawing in of the breath….When alarmed he always hisses, but it is only lately he has taken to mewing.”
A similar story appeared in Country-side in 1912 p.410.
Green lizard in Lancaster 1912 p.410
Jumping forward to – (Radio 4) April 28th 1991 “Bees this year are buzzing a semi tone higher than last year.
N.B Country-side and Country-side monthly are different magazines.
(1) It would be interesting to know exactly from what part of China this grey slow loris came from because around this time a slow loris was found tied to a lamp post in Hong Kong.
(2) Has anyone heard anything about this?
That`s all folks….
June 17th 1905 p.89 African Viper, Denmark Hill (London?)
Brusher Mills. (a snake catcher in the New Forest) August 5th 1905. p.199
Odd coloured frog, N.Wales. December 9th 1905 p.55. “The frog described as having a back of a bright red colour, spotted with orange, and a pure white breast seen swimming in a brook in N.Wales, was an interesting colour variation of the common frog". Same page- bright yellow frog Hull.
July 21st 1906 p.160. Acclimatisation of River tortoise in Thames valley and elsewhere in England- carnivorous-dark shell with bright yellow dots.
September 1st 1906 p.230 A 2ft long grass snake killed in Ballymena.
October 13th 1906 p.298 A grey slow loris from China at London Zoo (1)
October 27th 1906 p.324 . “Sea creature off Scotland”
June 15th 1907 p.83 Cat headed sea snake
July 4th 1908 p.79 Another red British frog.
May 15th 1909 p.341 A little red viper
September 4th 1909.p.243 A little red viper in S.Wales
This is my favourite one: October 9th 1909 p.326 A type of African water snake with an “electrical battery” (sic) (2)
Country-side monthly
Exact date unknown. Vol 3 p.136 Magical cure from snake bite
December 18th 1909 p.71 Spanish terrapin (in UK) “uttering faint but distinct “mews” “like a young kitten. I think the sound is produced by the drawing in of the breath….When alarmed he always hisses, but it is only lately he has taken to mewing.”
A similar story appeared in Country-side in 1912 p.410.
Green lizard in Lancaster 1912 p.410
Jumping forward to – (Radio 4) April 28th 1991 “Bees this year are buzzing a semi tone higher than last year.
N.B Country-side and Country-side monthly are different magazines.
(1) It would be interesting to know exactly from what part of China this grey slow loris came from because around this time a slow loris was found tied to a lamp post in Hong Kong.
(2) Has anyone heard anything about this?
That`s all folks….
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