Wednesday, July 27, 2011
MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: ODD AQUATIC CREATURE IN LOCH ASSYNT,SCOTLAND, 1837-1839
The following article appeared in the Blackburn Standard of December 30th 1840 page 1:STRANGE ANIMAL a recent meeting of the Zoological Society, the secretary read a communication made to Lord Francis Egerton, by one of the agents on the Duke of Sutherland`s estate, respecting an animal said to have been repeatedly seen in Loch Assynt. In the autumn of 1837, it was observed by two young men, Kenneth M`Leod and Donald M`Kay, who were fishing in the loch. It appeared close to the end of their fishing rods, and is described by them as having large eyes, and it opened its mouth so wide that “ they could see down its mouth so wide that “they could see down to its very heart”. The colour was grey, the hair like bristles, the tusks large, the ears hanging down like those of a sheep, the shape of the head altogether was like a bull dog, but broader. It was seen again soon afterwards on a small island, in the loch, and is described as about the size of a stirk (*) , but broader in the back, about three feet high, with four legs, like those of a pig, but stouter. The description given by other persons of it corresponded generally with the above. It was seen five times in three years – the last time in 1839.
* Stirk-heifer or bullock
OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today
http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 1948 Harold Arthur Monstermunch unleashed his new invention, which he named after himself, upon a war weary British nation. Because of post war rationing and the rather cumbersome name it didn't really take off at the time. However, in the 1960s with a stroke of marketing genius he replaced the words “Harold Arthur”with “roast beef” and it took the world by storm.
And now the news:
Mountain lion killed in Conn. traced to S. Dakota
First photograph of mysterious African purse-web s...
Discovered by chance, the secret Mexican crystal c...
Rogue kangaroo attacks 94-year-old Phyllis Johnson...
Giant worm does not warrant federal protection
Deadly Fungus Could Eat Up All The Bananas Before ...
Strange Animal Found in Juneau County
'Vegetarian piranha' hooked in Hudson
Now this is a SERIOUS fish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfd5p1JqUsw
On this day in 1948 Harold Arthur Monstermunch unleashed his new invention, which he named after himself, upon a war weary British nation. Because of post war rationing and the rather cumbersome name it didn't really take off at the time. However, in the 1960s with a stroke of marketing genius he replaced the words “Harold Arthur”with “roast beef” and it took the world by storm.
And now the news:
Mountain lion killed in Conn. traced to S. Dakota
First photograph of mysterious African purse-web s...
Discovered by chance, the secret Mexican crystal c...
Rogue kangaroo attacks 94-year-old Phyllis Johnson...
Giant worm does not warrant federal protection
Deadly Fungus Could Eat Up All The Bananas Before ...
Strange Animal Found in Juneau County
'Vegetarian piranha' hooked in Hudson
Now this is a SERIOUS fish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfd5p1JqUsw
The latest on the Connecticut puma
On the excellent 'Frontiers of Zoology' newsgroup run by bloggo cornerstone Dale Drinnon, Matt Bille writes:
A puma killed in CT walked from SD. Fascinating. If it really did this, others have, or will. But why? Was it looking for a litter box? Following deer populations? Going to see the Broadway revival of "Cats?"
Link to story...
He has a point. The CFZ have been studying this case for some time, and our representative in the area Will deRocco has written an impressive report on the matter which is being published in the next edition of Animans & Men.
These results may well be true, but if so (and one has to remember that the initial findings of the authorities were completely different, and claimed that it was an escapee from captivity) why the secrecy? Why was our first request for tissue samples refused and our second ignored?
The timing is what concerns me. It is only a matter of months since the Eastern Puma was declared extinct, and ever since the puma in question came off badly in an incident involving an unnamed motor vehicle there have been suggestions that it was in fact an eastern puma, proving ionce and for all that the subspecies is not only not extinct but deserving of US Government funding.
The suggestions are that the regional authorities have made up an interesting, plausible and vaguely likely scenario to mask the true (and rather expensive) one. We at the CFZ find this hard to believe. A Government which lies to the people? Never.
We shall be asking, again, for some tissue samples so that we can verify the results. However, the authorities will have to prove that the samples indeed come from the Connecticut roadkilled specimen rather than from a bona fide South Dakota one, and I am not sure how they are going to do that!
A puma killed in CT walked from SD. Fascinating. If it really did this, others have, or will. But why? Was it looking for a litter box? Following deer populations? Going to see the Broadway revival of "Cats?"
Link to story...
He has a point. The CFZ have been studying this case for some time, and our representative in the area Will deRocco has written an impressive report on the matter which is being published in the next edition of Animans & Men.
These results may well be true, but if so (and one has to remember that the initial findings of the authorities were completely different, and claimed that it was an escapee from captivity) why the secrecy? Why was our first request for tissue samples refused and our second ignored?
The timing is what concerns me. It is only a matter of months since the Eastern Puma was declared extinct, and ever since the puma in question came off badly in an incident involving an unnamed motor vehicle there have been suggestions that it was in fact an eastern puma, proving ionce and for all that the subspecies is not only not extinct but deserving of US Government funding.
The suggestions are that the regional authorities have made up an interesting, plausible and vaguely likely scenario to mask the true (and rather expensive) one. We at the CFZ find this hard to believe. A Government which lies to the people? Never.
We shall be asking, again, for some tissue samples so that we can verify the results. However, the authorities will have to prove that the samples indeed come from the Connecticut roadkilled specimen rather than from a bona fide South Dakota one, and I am not sure how they are going to do that!