RIVAL TO LOCH NESS

Evening Star, Issue 21711, 4 May 1934, Page 13

RIVAL TO LOCH NESS

“ MONSTER " IN FRANCE DISCOVERY OH ROCKS From the description recently made available of a marine “ monster ” stranded at Querqueville, near Cher-boux-g, it seems that, imagination in France has been just as lively as it was recently at Loch Ness. Evidence points to its being merely the badly decomposed and mutilated body of a young whale. Old sailors who viewed the stranded carcase declared that it was that of a sea-serpent, such as they claimed tp have seen on some of their voyages. Naturalists have been rather more sceptical. The “ monster ” of Loch Ness was only claimed to have been seen lor a minute or so at a time. ■ But this “ monster ” of Querqueville still reposed on its bed of rock and sand ready for the investigation of any biologists whose curiosity is sufficiently strong to drive them to carry out their work in an atmosphere which really calls for gas masks. Professor Bourdelle, of the Cherbourg Natural History Museum, on seeing photographs of the creature, expressed the opinion that it was a young whale. It was admittedly in an advanced state of decomposition when it was washed ashore, and tins, in the professor’s view, accounted for the impression of some of those who saw it that it had a long nech and a small, camel-like head. The body had. obviously drifted for a long time in the sea. It had been partly eaten by sea birds, and time

and tide had also played their part in renderjng it almost unrecognisable. M. Jacques Pellegrin, assistant director of the Natural History Museum laboratory, also declined to entertain, the idea that an animal unknown to natural history had been discovered.Last summer he investigated the Loch Ness story, and reached the conclusion that the “ monster ” was simply a large bearded seal known to science as the “ phoca barbata,” which lived- principally on salmon, and had pursued its prey into Loch Ness. M. Piveteau, an eminent palaeontologist, who is one of the foremost French authorities on prehistoric animals, said that'he shared the view of other professors. He added, however,that he was quite prepared to believe that an extraordinary creature had • been seen in Loch Ness, though probably only a very large seal, and that - the Querquevillo monster was either a' largo seal or a young whale. Even mythology, M. Piveteau pointed out, had a foundation in fact. v • He had traced the Greek legend of the syrens, ■ for instance, to the fact that the females of certain species of seals still to be found on the West African coasts sit on rocks holding their young to their breasts and utter peculiar cries. It was thus, he added, that arose the old stories of creatures, .half women and half beasts, wHo ' sat oa i rocks, and l by their enchanted singing lured sailors to destruction.