A MONSTER OF THE DEEP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2736, 25 January 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A MONSTER OF THE DEEP.

On the little strand at Diigorr, in Achill Island, on the west coast of Mayo, now lie the remains of one of the most curious creatures, perhaps, to be met with in all the animal creation. It was stranded for some months on one of the outlying reefs at the entrance of Blacksod Bay, where the villagers took it to te the carcase of a large whale. It was afterwards carried on to tlie Achill strand liy the late galo which swept over the Western oceau on the night of 4th October. This large sea monster is none other than the gigantic squid or king cuttle fish, and is rarely seen on our shore?. To what species of the (Emmestrephes it belongs will ever remain unknown, as it was too far gone in decay, and was shorn of all its beauty. The suckers and horny rings had fallen off long before it readied the strand, and the parrot-like horny beak, which is peculiar to this animal, was also missing. The animal, though shrunk and distorted (a correspondent says), measured as follows :—Length of tentacles or loug arms, 30 feet each ; circumference of body, including short arms, GO feet; circumference of tentacles iu some places 4 feet. I know of only four instances of the appearance of this strange monster in British waters ; one was stranded on the shores of Kerry more that) 200 years ago ; another is reported aa having been found off the Banks of Newfoundland ; one is recorded by Mr Gwyn Jeffries from Shetland ; and the last we read of was taken off Boffin, Isle of Mayo, about 14 years ago, and identified and recorded by the naturalist, Mr A, G. More, of Dublin. Portions of this animal are now in the Dublin museum. A very faint idea can be gathered from what is preserved in museums of this curious creature, as it shrivels away almost to nothing, except a large cartilage pen, which runs across the body and branches off to the short arms. .Curious tales are often told by mariners about this sea monster. Its enormous arms of tentacles are armed with forminable suckers and horny rings, which are set with small teeth pointing inwards. These long arms, 70 feet iu length when outstretched, as they toss about in the ocean, may have given rise to the sea serpent. It is curious that three out of the whole number of these animals of which we have record should have been stranded on the west coast of Ireland.