Mokele-Mbembe

Now available:

Mokele-Mbembe: Mystery Beast of the Congo Basin
William J. Gibbons

Details here.

Science Fiction Cryptids

Now available:

Bestiarium Cryptozoologicum: Mystery Animals and Unknown Species in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy

23 stories, details here.

Mokele-Mbembe Book Title Poll

I'm running a quick poll today on my StrangeArk mailing list on a soon-to-be published book by Bill Gibbons on mokele-mbembe and the various expeditions. Three potential subtitles, take a quick vote if you're a listmember, or join the list to vote.

OT: Raptors of the Northeast

For birders and wildlife enthusiasts in the northeastern US, I've recently published Dr. Thomas Bosakowski and Dr. Dwight G. Smith's Raptors of the Northeast. Full color, 30 species covered, 200 pages.

Bigfoot in Georgia

The publisher recently sent me a copy of Jeffery Wells' Bigfoot in Georgia, so I'll note a few things here for potential readers. First the basics:

Bigfoot in Georgia
Jeffery Wells
Pine Winds Press (Idyll Arbor); 2010
ISBN 978-0-937663-17-2
165 pp., retails for $18.00

Let me start off pointing out that Amazon currently has the book discounted (on pre-order) to a bit over $12, so don't be afraid of the $18 price tag.

The book covers Bigfoot sightings in Georgia, including regional Native American tales, some early newspaper accounts, and other stories up to the present day. There is discussion in the first chapter on the overall history of Bigfoot sightings, another chapter discusses the Elkins Creek cast, and he devotes a fair bit of text to specific organizations or researchers (for example, a chapter on journalist Wayne Ford).

The author is a professor at Georgia Military College (Atlanta campus), and his ability to write is certainly above par for the subject. This is a decent state guide on the topic, and the author handles it objectively. It looks like most of the reports come from other researchers and organizations, so the scope of sightings may be familiar to the more well-versed Bigfoot enthusiasts. That's not a bad thing -- if anything, more regional Bigfoot organizations need to seek out individuals like Wells to organize and write up their files in a professional manner. Too many guides (or websites) are haphazard or don't convey an objective approach to the subject. I would have liked to have seen a more thorough survey of sightings in this book, but I suspect it would be too difficult to manage that while dealing with the various personalities in Bigfoot research. That's one reason I don't bother with this topic much myself.

Books: Anthro/Archaeo Mysteries

Slightly OT, but two books I recently published of interest to Fortean readers:

The Dwarfs of Mount Atlas: Collected Papers on the Curious Anthropology of Robert Grant Haliburton
This book collects the papers and letters to publications that Haliburton (a Canadian lawyer) wrote while building a case for a legendary tribe of pygmies in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. (Letters by critics and supporters are also included.) Haliburton used the folklore he collected to theorize generally on dwarf survival elsewhere, including Europe and South America.

Iron Age America Before Columbus, by William D. Conner
Conner has continued the legacy of the late Arlington Mallery (author of Lost America) in investigating the origins of the unusual iron furnaces found in southern Ohio and elsewhere. Conner argues that the evidence points to a pre-Columbian Old World visitation as a source for these sites.

Sea Serpents in Academia

Sort of... Ran across a mention of this book, published by the State University of New York Press:

Species, Serpents, Spirits, and Skulls: Science at the Margins in the Victorian Age
Sherrie Lynne Lyons
Published October 2009, $75

Blurb says: "Science permeates nearly every aspect of our lives, and yet, as current debates over intelligent design, the causes of global warming, and alternative health practices indicate, the question of how to distinguish science from pseudoscience remains a difficult one. To address this question, Sherrie Lynne Lyons draws on four examples from the nineteenth century--sea serpent investigations, spiritualism, phrenology, and Darwin's theory of evolution. Each attracted the interest of prominent scientists as well as the general public, yet three remained at the edges of scientific respectability while the fourth, evolutionary theory, although initially regarded as scientific heresy, ultimately became the new scientific orthodoxy. Taking a serious look at the science behind these examples, Lyons argues that distinguishing between science and pseudoscience, particularly in the midst of discovery, is not as easy as the popular image of science tends to suggest. Two examples of present-day controversies surrounding evolutionary psychology and the meaning of fossils confirm this assertion. She concludes that although the boundaries of what constitutes science are not always clear-cut, the very intimate relationship between science and society, rather than being a hindrance, contributes to the richness and diversity of scientific ideas. Taken together, these entertaining and accessible examples illuminate important issues concerning the theory, practice, and content of science."

Books

Kevin Stewart passed along that Dr. Glen Chilton is currently writing a book, The Return of the Ferret Zombies, on the black-footed ferret (and maybe other rediscovered species?)

But, it also appears that Dr. Chilton has just published The Curse of the Labrador Duck, about his quest to find all the stuffed specimens of this extinct bird and visit locales formerly important to the species.

Sea Serpent Book Coming?

A Nova Scotia science museum curator is writing a book on sea monsters. (News source.)

Another Cryptofiction Anthology

Forgot to mention another recent reprint anthology for those who prefer their cryptofiction in book form, Volume 1 of Fantasies of Science, Romance, and the Weird by Robert W. Chambers includes the cryptofiction stories found in Chambers' books In Search of the Unknown and Police!!! Details at Coachwhip Publications.

Ivan T. Sanderson's Cryptofiction

Long before Jurassic Park, cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson had his own vision of a world where dinosaurs and other fossil saurians came back to battle with mankind. In a short novella (or better, a long short story), Report on the Status Quo, published as a stand-alone book, Sanderson (under his fiction-writing pseudonym, Terence Roberts) offers an alternate history of a post-WWIII world that finds itself under siege by monstrous creatures from the past.

Sanderson's fiction is not well-known; he wrote a trio of military espionage stories set in the Caribbean and a children's adventure book or two, but despite his wide interest in both cryptozoology and Fortean subjects, this appears to be his only foray into speculative fiction. (I'd be interested in hearing about any that I've not seen.)

Report on the Status Quo is one story (with full illustrations by Sanderson) now collected in my latest cryptofiction-oriented anthology: Sauria Monstra: Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, and Other Fossil Saurians in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy. Further details, contents, and more samples of Sanderson's accompanying sketches at Coachwhip Publications.

OT: YGOR

Cryptofiction author Lee Murphy has come out with a book in a different genre altogether: YGOR.

The book's description: "Casting new light upon the oft-told story, YGOR is not so much a horror novel, as a character piece depicting the co-dependent relationship between the insane scientist and the famous deformed lab assistant. Told first-person by Ygor, this novel chronicles the four-year odyssey from the moment these two men first meet, to the fruition of their ultimate goal: to resurrect human life from dead bodies. Ygor suffers countless abuses and many run-ins with evil through his years of tireless service, ultimately to discover the great value of his own unacknowledged sensibilites and intelligence."

Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

For those of you who get up way too early in the morning, put on your hiking boots, grab your binoculars, and set out to look for flashing wings and trills in the tree tops, a new book will be just your cup of tea. Elizabeth J. Rosenthal has interviewed his friends, family, and colleagues to introduce us to the genius, drive, and humanity of a singular individual, Roger Tory Peterson. Birdwatcher shows the foibles and insecurities along with his love of nature and the determination behind his conservation efforts.

Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson
The Lyons Press
ISBN-13 978-1599212944
$29.95 / hardcover / 464 pp.

Invertebrate Cryptofiction

Now available, Invertebrata Enigmatica, a collection of classic science fiction and fantasy stories involving insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates. Some are straight-forward fantasy, mystery, or supernatural stories, but many qualify as cryptofiction (involving encounters with unknown species). Details and contents available at CoachwhipBooks.com.

Bigfoot Author

Profile and interview here on Kathy Moskowitz Strain, and her recently published book Giants, Cannibals, and Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture.

Sea Monsters in Fiction

Now available, Cetus Insolitus: Sea Serpents, Giant Cephalopods, and Other Marine Monsters in Classic Science Fiction and Fantasy. This 391-page anthology has 26 stories of strange creatures from the deep, ranging from humorous to horrific. Some will be familiar to those who have seen my online cryptofiction collection, while other stories are more difficult to find. Many are of interest to cryptofiction fans, though a few are just sci-fi/fantasy or adventure with monstrous protagonists. (Out of the Deep, for example, is an apocalyptic story of attacks by intelligent man-eating fish.)

A few gems: From the Darkness and the Depths, a discussion of photography leads to the story of an encounter with an invisible octopus; The Tail of the Big Sea-Serpent, a very early story in comedic "tribute" to the well-known Daedalus sea serpent sighting; The Finless Death, a fantastic twist on dangerous creatures from the bottom of the ocean.

Available at your favorite online bookstore, contents at Coachwhip Publications (retails $14.95, but is showing up a bit cheaper for B&N members).

Boss Snakes Book Sighting

My v.p. (Adam) pointed out a familiar title in a stack of herp books in this winning reptile-themed pumpkin carving contest photo over at iHerp. So, congrats to Rebecca, and thanks for picking up the book!

Academic Press Meets Bigfoot

Two forthcoming books on Bigfoot are being published by University of Chicago Press and University of California Press.

Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend
Joshua Blu Buhs
May 2009
University of Chicago Press

Preface

Dramatis Personae
1 Wildmen
Wildmen through History
What-Is-It
The Abominable Snowman
The Life and Times of Bigfoot

2 Yeti: 1951–1959
Sensation
The Yeti, Science, and Zadig’s Method
Britain Hunts the Yeti
America Hunts the Yeti
What the Evidence Told

3 Sasquatch: 1929–1958
The Great Sasquatch Hunt
The Kidnapping of Albert Ostman
“Occam’s Razor Cuts on the Side of the Sasquatch”
Slick Eyes the Sasquatch

4 Big Foot: 1958
The Folkloric Origins of Bigfoot
Big Foot Makes the Papers
The Confirmed and Converted Confront Bigfoot
Humbug!
“Maybe Bigfoot is Lost Relative of Old ‘Sasquatch’”

5 ABSMery: 1959–1961
The (Weird, Wacky) Wonderful World of Ivan T. Sanderson
ABSMery
The Pacific Northwest Expedition
Enter Peter Byrne
The Wipe: Or True’s Trouble with Truth, and Ivan Sanderson’s

6 Melting the Snowman: 1961–1967
Melting the Snowman
Sanderson’s Failed Debunking of the Debunking
The Quiet Years
Big Foot Daze

7 The Return of Bigfoot: 1967–1980
Bigfoot Filmed!
Making Sense of the Movie
The Return of Bigfoot
Bozo, the Minnesota Iceman
Bigfoot on Tour
The Secret of Sasquatch

8 A Contest for Dignity: 1969–1977
The Bigfoot Community
Cripplefoot
The Center that Wasn’t
Hoaxing, the Unconquerable Problem
The Laugher Curtain

9 Cryptozoology: 1978–1990
Grover Krantz, Sasquatch Scientist
Anthropology of the Unknown
Cryptozoology
Science Police
“Definitive Proof”
Arrested by the Science Police

10 The Death of Bigfoot? 1980–2002
The Green Man
The Death of Bigfoot
“The Most Abominable Hoaxer”
Bigfoot is Dead! Long Live Bigfoot!
Not The End, but An End
Curse of the Sasquatch

Bibliography
Index

Anatomy of a Beast: Obsession and Myth on the Trail of Bigfoot
Michael McLeod
April 2009
University of California Press

"Part history, part road trip, and part biography, this is the true story of a remarkable group of men whose obsession with Bigfoot turned the giant hominid into an American icon. Award-winning journalist Michael McLeod tells of Bigfoot's rise to tabloid stardom in a fast-paced account that begins with his own journey to investigate a famous 1967 film clip of a Bigfoot in a California forest. McLeod proceeds to uncover a trail of clues reaching from the late nineteenth century, when a few ambitious, imaginative naturalists and explorers synthesized historical and indigenous folklore with Darwinian ideas and speculated that a proto-hominid 'missing link' might still be alive in remote areas. That speculation would eventually inspire a colorful cast of loggers, hunters, con artists, and businessmen in the twentieth century to create the modern myth of Bigfoot, all of them angling for a piece of a monster that the media and the public still can't get enough of. Told through vividly narrated interviews and anecdotes, Anatomy of a Beast offers a unique perspective on the deep roots of counterfactual thinking—and how obsession and myth are created out of it."

Flora Curiosa: Cryptobotanical Fiction

For those interested in literary cryptobotany, I've put together an anthology (Flora Curiosa) of 20 classic short stories involving all sorts of strange plants and fungi in science fiction and fantasy. An additional story by Louisa May Alcott that I came across too late for this collection was included in my anthology of Egyptian-themed sff stories, Out of the Sand.

Also, I've put together a two-novel collection, Pym, that includes Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, in which you'll find Poe's zoological speculation on the fauna of the Antarctic (at that point unexplored).

Classic Cryptofiction

Now available: Beyond the Great South Wall, by Frank Savile. This is a classic romantic-adventure novel involving mysterious clues to an ancient culture that lead to the frozen south (and a prehistoric horror...) First published in 1901, it has a decent (if corny) storyline, interesting characters, and plenty of escapades.

Ordering info at CoachwhipBooks.com.

Earthline

Recently published, a collection of almost 100 of Maryland naturalist Bob Chance's long-running newspaper columns. Stories of local history, wildlife, and friends offer a backdrop to Bob's message of environmental responsibility. There's even a chapter on Bigfoot, Bob being one of the early researchers of East Coast sightings. (Bob will be speaking at the 2008 Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society conference.) Buy an autographed copy of Earthline direct from Bob here.

Boss Snakes

Now available, Boss Snakes: Stories and Sightings of Giant Snakes in North America. More details here.

Cryptofiction on Kindle

I've been fooling around with the new Kindle ebook format that Amazon is now pushing. I've put up three anthologies of classic cryptofiction, two relating to cryptozoology, and one on cryptobotanical stories. Details here. I haven't decided whether to bother putting some of the larger nonfiction works out in Kindle editions, as I don't know that there's going to be a real market there, but it's a possibility.

Ebay: Historical Bigfoot 20-Lot

For those interested, I've put up a wholesale lot (twenty copies) of The Historical Bigfoot up on Ebay.

The Cage (Cryptofiction Novel)

A new horror tale involving a number of cryptozoological and mythical creatures: The Cage, by Jason Brannon. Involves a traveling caravan ("Captain Omaha's Cryptozoological Fair and Freak Show"), a zoo, and a storm that traps visitors in a deadly situation. Quite a few of the well-known cryptids (the dangerous ones, at least) make an appearance.

Not for the faint-of-heart, but a quick skim shows that it is readable and imaginative. (At some point, when I've had time to catch up on my reading, I'll put reviews of this, and a few other cryptofiction novels, up on BFR.)

Florida's Unexpected Wildlife

A new book, focusing on Florida mystery animals:

Florida's Unexpected Wildlife: Exotic Species, Living Fossils, and Mythical Beasts in the Sunshine State
Michael Newton
University Press of Florida

Does Champ Exist?

The published transcript of this historic 1981 conference in Shelburne, Vermont, is now available. Gary Mangiacopra and Dwight Smith have edited the transcript, created from audio tapes of the conference, with the cooperation of the speakers. Included along with the transcript is a chronology of Champ sightings, notes on the limnology of Lake Champlain, and some reprints of historical newspaper accounts involving Champ-related phenomena. More details at CoachwhipBooks.

Mysterious Kentucky

Bart Nunnelly (one of the contributors to Cryptozoology and the Investigation of Lesser-Known Mystery Animals) has just published Mysterious Kentucky with Whitechapel Press. It includes discussion of many biological, archaeological, historical, and anthropological (including folkloric) anomalies, with subjects of interest to cryptozoology, UFOlogy, and paranormal enthusiasts.

Two (2) New Books - Big Cats and Zooform

BIG CATS LOOSE IN BRITAIN by Marcus Matthews
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: cfz (June 13, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1905723121
ISBN-13: 978-1905723126

MONSTER! - THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENA by Neil Arnold

Paperback: 396 pages
Publisher: cfz (May 23, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1905723105
ISBN-13: 978-1905723102

Both authors may sound familiar to cryptozoology readers based on their work in England dealing with big cats and other zoological phenomenons.

The books are available from various retailers such as Amazon.com

Homo Floresiensis Book

Mike Morwood and Penny van Oosterzee have published their book on Homo floresiensis:

A New Human: The Startling Discovery and Strange Story of the "Hobbits" of Flores, Indonesia.

HarperCollins

ISBN-10: 0060899085
ISBN-13: 978-0060899080

New Ivorybill Book

A new book is out from Oxford University Press on the hunt for the ivorybill woodpecker.

Ivorybill Hunters: The Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness

Geoffrey E. Hill

Oxford University Press, 2007

ISBN 0195323467

Book description: "The last documented sighting of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker--one of the rarest and most intriguing animals in the world--was noted over 50 years ago. Long thought to be extinct, the 2005 announcement of a sighting in Arkansas sparked tremendous enthusiasm and hope that this species could yet be saved. But the subsequent failure of a massive search to relocate Ivorybills in Arkansas made hope for the species' revival short-lived. Here, noted ornithologist Geoffrey Hill tells the story of how he and two of his colleagues stumbled upon what may be a breeding population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in the swamps of northern Florida. He relates their laborious attempts to document irrefutable evidence for the existence of this shy, elusive bird following the failure of a much larger research team to definitively prove the bird's existence. Hill tells of his travails both in and out of the vast swamp wilderness, pulling back the curtain to reveal the little-seen political maneuvering that is part of all modern science. He explains how he and his group decided who to exclude or include as their findings came in, and why they felt the need to keep their search a secret. Hill returns repeatedly to how expectations can guide observations, and how tempting it is to oversell evidence in the face of the struggle between an overwhelming desire to find the bird and the need to retain integrity and objectivity. Written like a good detective story, Ivorybill Hunters also delves into the science behind the rediscovery of a species, explaining how professional ornithologists follow up on a sight record of a rare bird, and how this differs from the public's perception of how scientists actually work. Hill notes the growing role of amateurs in documenting bird activity and discusses how the community of birders and nature lovers can see, enjoy, and help preserve these birds. Ivorybill Hunters will prove a fascinating read for those with an interest in natural history, adventure, environmental conservation, and science, as well as the more than forty-six million Americans who now call themselves birdwatchers."

Elementum Bestia - RELEASED

ELEMENTUM BESTIA has now been released!!

A compilation book by authors from around the world, edited by Craig Heinselman.

This book marks the return of the CRYPTO Presents series of books last done in 2002. The previous versions are available online at Strange Ark . The difference this round is the book will be a standard oversized paperback of over 275 pages in length. The book is available through LuLu.com at http://www.lulu.com/content/811102

Segmented into sections as diverse as Unknown Aerial, Aquatic and Terrestrial Creatures to Cultural Impacts and Fictional Representations (Cryptofiction).


The American Sârâph: An Unnatural History of Winged Snakes in North America by Scott Maruna
The Case of the Grey Ghost by Craig Heinselman
Littlefoot – The Junjudee by Tony Healy and Paul Cropper
The Hobbits of Flores: A New Genus of Hominid - Parahomo by Dr Dwight Smith and Gary Mangiacopra
Maned Mystery Cats and Panthera atrox by Loren Coleman
Antediluvian Forms in South America? by Phillip O’Donnell
In Search of Rare Carnivorous Marsupials: An Examination of the Evidence for Their Survival by Chris Rehberg
New Zealand Mystery Biped? by Tony Lucas
“Aye, and behind the Cameroon’s there’s things living” by Scott Norman
Sasquatch Hoaxes by Diane Stocking
Bigfoot in Art History: Prehistoric to Early Medieval Period by Scott Marlowe
The Genesis of the Annual Bigfoot Conference / Expo by Don Keating
The Western Bigfoot Society – A History by Ray Crowe
To the Credulous Reader by JP O'Neill
A Classification System for Large , Unidentified Marine Animals Based on the Examination of Reported Observations by Bruce Champagne
Cryptofiction – One Reader’s Thoughts by Matt Bille
The Chupacabra by DL Tanner
Remember the Coelacanth by Lee Murphy
Cleve Hopper’s Goat by Gerry Bacon
Stick Doll by Blake Templeton
Creatures of the Fire: Cryptozoology in Ancient and Contemporary Perspective by Dr. Peter Dendle
The Global Search for New Species by Matt Bille
Artwork by William Rebsamen, Jim Harnock and Rick Spears

ELEMENTUM BESTIA - MAY 2007 RELEASE

Coming in May 2007: ELEMENTUM BESTIA

A compilation book by authors from around the world, edited by Craig Heinselman.

This book marks the return of the CRYPTO Presents series of books last done in 2002. The previous versions are available online at Strange Ark . The difference this round is the book will be a standard oversized paperback of nearly 300 pages in length. The book will be made available through Lulu.com at cost, running at approx. $11.50 per copy in a 8 1/2 x 11 paperback style.

Segmented into sections as diverse as Unknown Aerial, Aquatic and Terrestrial Creatures to Cultural Impacts and Fictional Representations (Cryptofiction).

More details soon once the final proof copy is reviewed in a week or so.

For now, enjoy the cover art by Rick Spears and the content listing.

The American Sârâph: An Unnatural History of Winged Snakes in North America by Scott Maruna

The Case of the Grey Ghost by Craig Heinselman

Littlefoot – The Junjudee by Tony Healy and Paul Cropper

The Hobbits of Flores: A New Genus of Hominid - Parahomo by Dr Dwight Smith and Gary Mangiacopra

Maned Mystery Cats and Panthera atrox by Loren Coleman

Antediluvian Forms in South America? by Phillip O’Donnell

In Search of Rare Carnivorous Marsupials: An Examination of the Evidence for Their Survival by Chris Rehberg

New Zealand Mystery Biped? by Tony Lucas

“Aye, and behind the Cameroon’s there’s things living” by Scott Norman

Sasquatch Hoaxes by Diane Stocking

Bigfoot in Art History: Prehistoric to Early Medieval Period by Scott Marlowe

The Genesis of the Annual Bigfoot Conference / Expo by Don Keating

The Western Bigfoot Society – A History by Ray Crowe

To the Credulous Reader by JP O'Neill

A Classification System for Large , Unidentified Marine Animals Based on the Examination of Reported Observations by Bruce Champagne

Cryptofiction – One Reader’s Thoughts by Matt Bille

The Chupacabra by DL Tanner

Remember the Coelacanth by Lee Murphy

Cleve Hopper’s Goat by Gerry Bacon

Stick Doll by Blake Templeton

Creatures of the Fire: Cryptozoology in Ancient and Contemporary Perspective by Dr. Peter Dendle

The Global Search for New Species by Matt Bille

Artwork by William Rebsamen, Jim Harnock and Rick Spears

Great Sea-Serpent

The Coachwhip Publications reprinted edition of Oudemans' classic, The Great Sea-Serpent, is now available. This text is one of the most important for sea-serpent studies, though current opinions may or may not agree with his theories. It is certainly a foundational text for the development of cryptozoology in a systematic fashion. My former ebook version of this text was very popular, and I believe this affordable paperback edition will be of interest to those wanting a physical book for their shelves. (The paperback, of course, has a brand new layout.)

This edition (ISBN 1930585365) runs 440 pages (8.25 x 11), retailing in the US for $19.95 (though I see Barnes & Noble is selling it for a few bucks less). More information, and a free chapter download (PDF), at CoachwhipBooks.

An additional reprint of this text will be available shortly from Cosimo Books. More info on that will appear at Cryptomundo.

Big Bird Book

Noted on CFZ's blog, Ken Gerhard has published Big Bird!, though I'm not clear on the specifics of what the book covers. From the description:

"The Indians called it the Thunderbird, a winged monster so vast that the beating of its mighty pinions sounded like thunder. But this ancient beast is not to be held in the cage of mythology. Today, from all over the dusty U.S. / Mexican border come hair-raising stories of modern day encounters with winged monsters of immense size and terrifying appearance. Further field sightings of similar creatures are recorded from all around the globe. The Kongamato of Africa, the Ropen of New Guinea and many others. What lies behind these weird tales?"

Fantagraphics CZ Art

In January, Fantagraphics published Beasts!, by Jacob Covey, a bestiary of sorts that includes both purely mythological and some cryptozoological creatures. The entries are illustrated by artists and cartoonists, showing a wide range of styles and perspectives.

More information can be found at the Beasts! blog, and an online interview with Covey.

Alice McKenzie and the Moa

Did Alice McKenzie see a moa in 1880 near Martins Bay?

Alice McKenzie was born in 1873, and moved to Martins Bay in the late 1870's. It was there in 1880 at the age of 7 that she saw an odd bird.

Described as bluish in color, her height and with greenish legs the size of her wrists. The bird made a grunting cry as it moved through the scrub. Glanced again in 1889, Alice thought for years she had seen a takahe. Now the takahe was not rediscovered until the late 1940's.

In the New Zealand Journal of Ecology (volume 12, supplement 1989), Atholl Anderson wrote an entry entitled "On Evidence for the Survival of Moa in European Fiordland". In this entry, he outlines a letter written by Alice McKenzie to North Otago historian GB Stevenson in May 1948:

" I was very much interested in your description of the Moa's, and wish to tell you of a very large bird which lived at Martin's Bay. I saw it twice, but many others saw its footprints in the sand, it must have gone about the beaches at night, as its fresh tracks were plainest in the early mornings, generally in July, we thought it probably lived in a large swamp between the sea and Lake McKerrow and when it was frozen it came to the sea beach.

First time I saw it was in 1880, I was 7 years of age. I was along the beach inside the sand hills, there are high sand hilles covered with tussock, inside of them the bush starts, flax grows around the edge of the bush in the sand. I saw this large bird lying beside the flax. I got nearer and nearer, it took no notice of me. I got behind it, and sat down on the sand, it seemed quite round behind, as it had no tail and was the colour of swamphen blue - I put a hand under it and drew out one of its legs, it was as thick as my wrist, and covered with dark-green scales, I thought I'd tie it up, so split a blade of flax and started to tie it around the birds legs, then it got up and making a harsh cry went for me. I went over those sand hills like a red shank, the bird after me for a short distance. I can't remember if it had wings, but I don't think so, when it went for me the feathers round its neck stood out like a ruff. I think if it had wings I would have noticed. I ran home and told of the huge bird which chased me. Mother thought I was exaggerating, but I persuaded Father to come and see where it had been, he saw its tracks where it went after me, he had a foot rule in his pocket and measured the feet 11 inches from heel to middle toe, its feet were three toes like a hen, he recorded it in his diary, but some allowance could be made for the feet sinking in the dry sand, and may have seemed larger than they were.

For years then we saw its tracks in the winter, 10 years after I was driving some cattle from the Kaipo River to Martins Bay, coming round a rocky point I saw the cattle standing on the sand beach looking startled toward the bush. I looked and saw a blue object disappearing into the scrub, it looked like a mans navy blue coat, and I felt very frightened as there were prisoners working at Milford Sound at the time, and was afraid it was one of them, however I had to pass the place to get home, then I saw the large birds tracks taking long strides towards the place I saw it entering the bush. I did not try to look for it, my early experience was too fresh in my memory..."

Alice's memories, through a series of journals written over the years, was first published in 1947. Reprinted as a 2nd edition in 1952, her story then came to light (after first appearing in the Otago Daily Times of July 1947). Now, in 2007, Alice's grand-daughter Alice Margaret Leaker has compiled a new edition of Pioneers of Martins Bay that is being published by Arrowtown's Lakes District Museum.

Now the moa is officially extinct, being gone since the 12th century, with some lingering possibly into the 1500's. There have been reports of moa like birds throughout the years, including a number in the 19th century. The most "popularized" account coming in 1993 when Paddy Freaney and two others reported seeing a 2-meter bird and snapping its picture (the picture is not distinct however, and the account is still debatable).

So did Alice McKenzie really see a Moa? Or something else?

Paddy Freaney's picture from 1993

Book: Great Auk

For those interested in extinct species, I've just published a non-facsimile reprint of Symington Grieve's The Great Auk, or Garefowl. First printed in 1885, this was a thorough investigation of the known facts surrounding that large flightless bird through records, journals, and natural history collections. Further information is at CoachwhipBooks.com.

New Book by Mark Opsasnick

Got a notice today that Mark Opsasnick is releasing a paperback of several of his investigative articles. I think (but not certain) these were originally published in Strange Magazine. These investigations have all been rewritten for the book, and if they are anything like the rewrite on Mark's Maryland Bigfoot Digest, should be excellent reading. The book is titled, The Real Story Behind the Exorcist: A Study of the Haunted Boy and Other True-Life Horror Legends from Around the Nation's Capital. Of particular interest to cryptozoology enthusiasts will be the chapter, Horror on Fletchertown Road: The Goatman of Prince George’s County, Maryland. You can order the book now at XLibris, and it will be available on Amazon shortly.