MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: THE FORTEANOSITY OF THE YEAR 1907-1908 PART TWO

I am here continuing my look at a snap shot of 1907-8 along with a few items about Hong Kong Forteana that caught my eye.

A letter to the times on January 14^th 1908 from H.D. Rawnsley. Luminous birds occurred in 1898, from March to October and the Autumn of 1899 at Greystokes and Skelton. They moved quickly and leapt over hedges. Described by some as “ a dazzling light as large as a table lamp”. Skelton light appeared to move in  undulating curves and soared over a fir plantation. End of September 1900 keeper at Hornby Hall was approaching his home after dark when a nightjar emitted a flash from beneath its wings.

January 22^nd 1908  

Letter from Digby Pigott – model of owl painted with luminous paint was not as luminous as real one people had seen. Suggests the common barn owl is more often subject to luminosity than other birds.

Same day – L Veley suggests luminosity caused by phosphorescent plant matter in birds feathers. Another letter on 22-1-1908 says owl seen in darkened cage with phosphorescent plumage in Maidenhead. (1)

Two interesting reports from Hong Kong

The China Mail   May 4^th 1948

STRANGE OBJECT OBSERVED

A ball of bluish light about half the size of the moon in diameter  streaked across  a cloudless sky over Hong Kong late on  late on Sunday* night according to an observer`s report.

The object, seen from the Praya, was travelling at high speed in a westerly direction. It disappeared behind the wesyern end of the Peak in  a few seconds. The ball did not have the characteristic tail of a meteor. (2)

• May 2^nd.

The Singapore Free Press June 2^nd 1955

Snakes alive! `HORRID-LOOKING` MONSTER SEEN OFF HONG KONG

An anonymous Briton has reported seeing a 7-foot “monster” in the sea near Hong Kong. It was a vicious, beastly horrid-looking thing – enough to put anyone off swimming for the rest of the season “ he told the newspaper China Mail.He said it had grey and black stripes.

Hong Kong experts think the local “Loch Ness monster” may be a hydrophis cyancinctus, a black and yellow striped sea snake with a fatal bite when provoked. Residents of that colony are now uncertain whether to keep a look-out for the “snake” or a tiger which is reported to have swum to Kowloon Peninsula from the Chinese mainland. (3)

1. R.Muirhead. Personal notes
2. The China Mail May 4^th 1948
3. The Singapore Free Press June 2^nd 1955