The other day I went to the local studies libraries and came up with one or two items of interest, including this story of some kind of shark (?) caught off Devon [which I know will please the Dear Leader-R] and later exhibited at Hanging Ditch, which is presumably the same district between Victoria St and Corporation St, Manchester.
Just Arrived Here
And to be Seen in the Front Room, at the Admiral Duncan, Hanging Ditch
A very large and remarkable Fish, which was caught Near Exmouth,Devonshire Of the Carnivorous Kind, called
The MAN EATER
His length is 8 feet,5 feet round,has 14 rows of teeth, and 5 ribs on each side,like a Man, one fin on each side,and one on the back 18 inches long, 4 fins under the belly and near the tail,of different lengths, one fork of the tail 3 inches longer than the than the other and full of joints, the other fork has none.
This fish is allowed, by all who have seen it, to be the greatest Natural Curiosity ever yet exhibited: it has never been described in Natural History, and may be very properly classed as a “ NON DESCRIPT.”
N.B. It is soon to be made a present to the Duke of Devonshire. There are also several other Natural Curiosities in the Room.
I am interested in such reports as pieces of social history and I love the hyperbole.
Now, concerning COPAC. COPAC is a search tool covering specialist, university libraries, etc, libraries in the U.K. and Ireland, which I came across about a year ago but haven`t used it till now. Go into Google and type in COPAC. A screen will come up giving the details of the site as usual. Then click on the green box, (search without logging in) then type in say `Wild cat in Ireland` in the Keyword space and 34 hits come up, including art and fiction. Altogether a good facility.
1. Bulletin of the Saddleworth Historical Society vol 5 no. 1 Spring 1975 p.10 citing Manchester Mercury 8th May 1798
A Cryptozoologist`s Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, A Flying Snake in a Pear tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Two Irish Wild Cats and a Flying Snake in a Pear tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Three living Mammoths, two Irish Wild Cat and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Fourth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Four moa birds,three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Five Beached sea ser-pents, Four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Sixth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea ser-pents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snakes in a Pear Tree.
On the Seventh Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, seven megamouth sharks a swimming, Six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea ser-pents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Eight Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eight aurochs a milking, Seven megamouth sharks a swimming, six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea ser-pents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Ninth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, nine blue spiders dancing Eight aurochs a milking, seven megamouth sharks a swimming, six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea ser-pents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, Two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Tenth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, ten Hong Kong mystery seals a-leaping, nine blue spiders dancing, Eight aurochs a milking, seven megamouth sharks a swimming, six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea-serpents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, Two Irish Wild Cats, and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eleven Orang Pendeks piping, Ten Hong Kong mystery seals a-leaping, nine blue spiders dancing, eight aurochs a milking, seven megamouth sharks a swimming, six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea-serpents, Four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree
On the Twelth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me,Twelve Blue Dogs drumming, Eleven Orang Pendeks piping, ten Hong Kong mystery seals a-leaping, nine blue spiders dancing, eight aurochs a milking, seven megamouth sharks a swimming, Six luminous owls a-laying, five beached sea ser-pents, four moa birds, three living mammoths, two Irish Wild Cats and a Flying Snake in a Pear Tree.
© Richard Muirhead
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