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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1959.
AN EXPERT ADDS HIS VIEW TO A DEBATĘ WHICH HAS RAGED FOR 26 YEARS----
Is there REALLY a monster
in Loch Ness?
THIS August-as in every August since 1933-
reports will come in from people who claim to
have seen the Loch Ness Monster.
Most people will regard these reports as a joke. But is the monster a joke?
Or is it some huke, unknown creature, some weird survival of the distant past, perhaps?
In the absence of absolute and unimpeachable proof we can only speculate. And my view is that there is, to say the very least, something well worth the deapest investigalion at Loch Ness.
It is extremely unlikely that a lut of respectable and respon- sible people, completely uriconnceted with one another, would go around saying that they had seen something If they hadn't, inviting the ridicule that is anyway poured on them.
.
They laughed
1 m give an instance of
13
100 trust that can be put in "myths" widely believed by 101 of people-especially by country folk, who are
hearer
the earth and nearer to furda- mentals, It is a trivial enough point in itself, but it emphasises an, important principle,
vite in Bee!
For more than 2,000 years a gryat many people have been saying that they have hedgehogs roll on apples and walk away with one or more of tham impaled on their spines,
-by-
Dr. MAURICE BURTON
D. P.A.S.A.. F.LL. P.XX.
Deputy Меерег
British Mu
of Zoology.
series of test books on anlats. and expert on underwater life
ten thousand of the ly a layman reports having seen population. The chance of a this, Nare event being seen by a Is he believed? Probably not "spreialist" in therefore a very yet 1 believe it because
lender one compared with the have seen II. And I have seen chanre of it being seen by it by following up the trail of a layman. 11, then, we refuse to seemingly incredible popular pay any attention to laymen we belief. had good laugh about it. In gravy risk of shutting our Yet the thing happens. And eyes to something that may be
true.
Now why should hedgehogs do this? They don't eat apples, The whole story sounde ridleu- lous and some naturalists have
I know It happens because I have
seen l—and I have photographs to prove it. There was a time when i too though! the hedgehog story ridleitous and laughed at it, Then I began to receive letters from people who claimed to have SDG1) It happen. Their claims interested me and
a little private in- opened up quiry.
my own discoveries, but would I could enumerate more of rather turn to those of other Scientists today are obsessed people. A belief at least 2,000 with the fear of making mis- years old is that soine takes. But it still doesn't stop hibernate. them making them.
They have an even greater fear of appearing ridiculous in the eyes of their colleagues, and this has lakeed timidity about expressing an opinion.
}
This
COULD IT BE A PLESIOSAUR? This picture was taken at 6.30 a.m. on July 14, 1951. by Lachlan Stuart, a woodinan, walking by Loch Ness.
bellefs founded on the observa- tion of rare and unusual pheno- mena by laymen. They cease to be legends when Science says they are true.
I
Applying this principle to the story of the Loch Ness Monster, have for some years past collected news-cuttings, letters from eye-witnesses and reports of conversations, casual or de- liberate.
Faking? No
Wherever possible I have fol- lowed up with probing ques- tions, Those who claim to have seen this thing represent a fair cross-section of the com- munity. They include people living near the loch and visitors from widely scattered places.
They have only one thing in birds common-lack of any precon- ceived idens. They have described to me what they have seen without trying to explain
was ridiculed for at least two centuries. Yet it within the last ten years has been proved true beyond doubt.
It
Apain, It was a belief in the Middle Ages that swifts roost in the heavens. With the aid of in airplane, it has now been established that many swifts spend the night fying high in the sky.
In
and the way in which the Some of the photographs of "thing" suddenly submerges,. the monster show a long neck For a long time I was con- like the plesiosaur's. Others vinced that the monster was show humps only, made by the a manifestation of glant ceis. body and tail, with a small A good case can be made out hump in front as of a head on for this theory. Eels that fall to get out to the open sea on the breeding migration are known to grow to a large size. Most of them clearly show There is, in fact, evidence that the wash-difficult to fake cels conßned in cold water against careful scrutiny-and at could grow to 10ft. or more.
least one (and this is most im-
n torg neek conerated just be- low the water,
1
turbulence
Ecls will also come to the portant) shows the surface and swim on the side along the skies of the humps, occasionally, giving the pres such as would be expected if alon of "humps." And cels will they were travelling at speed. suddenly submerge.
It's ideal
There may be giant cels in the loch and they may ac- It a few plestosaurs have sur- count for some of the observa- vived from the Age of Reptiles, tions made. But there are which ended 70,000,000 years further lems in the story. age and living fasells are by unknown- likely home for them is in Loch Ness.
side.
no means
the
Some reports include mention of a long neck rising from the being surface und of the head
Here geographical and clima- constantly turned from side to the circumstances combine, with
These und other details other factors, to provitte moke me now incline more and conditions that I consider, as a addition, there are the more to the theory (already scientist, to be almost ideal for photographs, not more than put forward by other people) the preservation and continued dozen. laken in different years that the beast is something like existence of such a creature, by people who have never met. plesiosaur, the "extinct" There is a good expanse of
known only from water-Kving reptile so for water, virtually undisturbed; fossils found the loch is of great depth; in Dorset, Somerset, Warwick- there is no larger beast to prey shire, and Yorkshire.
on it; and there is an abund-
nce of food.
#
а
In the flames 1 Acut wherever possible, by personal interview" where
We can rule out collusion am not immune from the practicablu, 141
cross-exand fear of fificul, but I prefer in these correspondents rigorously take the Hng that if a
faking, or the mere repetition In the end I became antised of people say they have seen
number
of what others have said,
that this apparently ri:liculous
There have, of course, been More than 20 centuries ago hoaxes; and and Incredible old wives fale certain thing it is worth while
result I Herodotus told us thut the Nile misiuken
there have been Investigating. As a was fact, and I set out to FUL
Impressions, These have made several interesting plover enters the crocodile's for myself.
recognised, and when mouth to pick its teeth. they have been eliminated there If unimportant discoveries,
There
has the This
long been "dis still remains a hard core of credited, yet two years ago it evidence which is difficult was proved that the bird does explain away. Indeed go in to pick the leeches of the crocodile's tongue. These
1 was several years before 7 could be sure beyond doubt, but
the myth of
in the course of my researches phoenix, the bird setting its nest I became aware of several im- on fire. We know the picture portant conclusions which well enough of the phoenix sit. could
lesson I ting and the flames. LA A humility to many scientists.
Oh, our simple-minded fore- The first is that there are fathers, so ignorant and gullible certain natural phenomena that to belleve such things!
Serve
open
сля ве
to
At intervals
We know nothing of habits of the plestosaurs,
We do know that it had
So don't laugh too much at the idea of there being a monster the in Loch Nessor if you
0
must
WEEKEND Friell
PAY
PROTEST
*My dear colleague ! am acting in the highest traditions of the Civil Service—a "chief must "take responsibility for his department.”
'In our Russian language, Tavarish Tommy, your name Steele becomes Stalin, but i will explain you are no relation."
*Everybody agrees prices must be cut, but nobody
will make a start, so ......
Just Fang. Thật
CLIM (vary) Philip Smith, areş 22, alleged house-breaker, was
in his cell all right after breakfast the other day, at Burton- on-Trent central police station.
A little fater, 10 o'clock, he had gone. But the cell door laugh don't laugh too loudly. stayed locked. Police and dogs were looking for him Stafford- long neck, a barrel-shaped bods, future there could emerge from ley, staring at the window bars in the cell, was saying: JUST.
may well be that in the near sure woods that night, and Chief Superintendent Kenneth Critch- four Bippers unid a long tail. Its Loch Ness evidence to. change FANCY THAT! nostrils were on top of the head guffaws to splutters of em- | stories and like the blow-hole of a whale, barrassment! and other similar examples lead the photographs tell the same so that it did not need to jue to enunciate the general story the familiar humps face In order to breathe.
principle that there may be a travelling at speed through the all probability plesiosaurs ap-
The eye-witness
Sur-
In
rare intervals — Just 45 the
happen so rarely that they are It just so happens, however, germ of truth, if not more, in water; the creature of 30 or peared on the surface only at seen only by chance. Some of that
sort every popular legend and piece 40 or 50 or more feet long. something of the them cannot be laboratory- nettually does take place. The of folklore, And legends are There is * similarity about problemailcal Loch Ness tested." And to this extent they rook is attracted by fire and, no more an well-established the strong wosh left behind, Monster seems to do. are outside life range of normal fur consans not clear, it some- selenife Investigation.
The number of professional the flats until the plumes of zoologists is probably less than its brint are singed. Occasional-
bmes
spreads its wings
over
The gay life of a little
minx in Moscow
My Lesley Anne
13 4
$5
+
7
A British Crossword Puzzle
--(London Express Service),
For Smith must have squeezed between bars 631in, apart the width of 3% columns of this newspaper,
10
12
14
[135]
16
119
20
1221
22
23
24
25
25
28
127
ACROSS
1 Long Bob!' (6)
5 It's for you to do this now.
(5)
8 Sally? Might be. (4)
0 Confection in a City den. (0)
11 He's got something. (3)
12 Where the blades come from?
(0)
14 K.O. (4)
16 City of Germany. (5)
18 Stay up. (5)
10 Get ready, ilterally? (4)
20. Bill additions. (6)
24 Zenith opposite. (5),
25 Getting up a revolt. (8))
20 Sull of the night almost. (4)
27 All over. (5) ; .
20 Exil, (6)
i
DOWN
1 Rock 'n' tuli dance? (4)
2 Run off with a security ald
(4)
Bird un the Ine, (4)
4 Soup container, (0)
5 Hurried too, Inside, and bent
down, '(7)
4 One day in June is this. (7)
7 Decorative pendant. (7)
10 Heart artery. (5)
lives on adoration --and onion pie
From CHRISTOPHER DOBSON (only resident British national newspaper reporter)
WE
Moscow.
VE have a daughter who was born in America and who now speaks a
lot of Russian and very little English. She is Lesley Anne, will be two this
month, and is having-
the time of her life in ohev speech, I was awakened clinking glasses with everyone Moscow. It is a great eaten onion pie rammed into words, "Cheers" and "Up the Boon after dawn by a half- and using her favourite English town for children. The my face by a grubby paw and Navy."
At the
suite
pam-
Russians love them, and the command "Kushit" ("cat"
If she gets bored with the talk in Russian).
she wanders off into the grocery she is petted and
She has a very busy day. section of the establishment, After breakfast she is dressed, where the Russian women swoop pered and spoiled all then goes about her business, on her with cries of delight. day long.
She pays her calls on various After lunch her nursemaid, guests, most of whom have moment we have
Tonio, appears, Lesley Anne runs dimcult time wondering where to her, grabs her hand and starts the wonderfully this child, dressod Victorian Hotel National over fashion, but speaking Russian, nately crying "Goolyat" (walk) Western pulling her to the door, alter- and has suddenly appeared from. Lesley Anne is queen of the
She rides up and down in the hotel. She can do po wrong. lift. She helps the cleaning
One whimper from her and women at their task with a dozen maida appear to cluck special straw broom they have over her
and look reproach- made for her. fully, at us.
looking the Kremlin,
12 The crime of a receiver. (7) And she, the ille minx. Glasses clink
14 Blew, perhaps,
(7)
of her sex or plumbed.with the cunning
already highly developed, looks
15 Spoke. like an extremist? (7) at us and grins in triumph.
17 He could easily make salls.
(5)
19 Of course, it's edible. (6)
21 Call round? (4)
22 Ancestor. (4)
Her command
to Tonia and "Bye-bye" to us.
She is off to the park and the sandpit where she plays with her Russian friends, Natasha, Misha, Galya, and Lena.
Then, when the sun starts to sink, a dog-red little girl is wheeled back to the hotel for bath, upper and bed, She helps sell papers and
This week we are moving Into books in the foyer. She toddles one of the brand new blocks of Intourist girls dats that impressed Mr Mac- id to visit the
as they cope with the food of milllan when he was here, It has a nursery and a kindergarten with glass walls,
She climbs out of her cot- tourists.
every morning at seven, opens When I am in Moscow I lake
the door which is left ajer for her for a walk about midday.
room
And there are swings and
23 Very long time for a walterther, and trots off in her pyjamas. I like to meet colleagues at roundabouts and a sandpit for
(3)
to have breakfast in the maids little champagne bar is Gork the children in an enclosed gar-
Street 'oppoelbe the Central den. Perfect for kids. YESTERDAY'S 'CROSSWORD—Across: 1 Sorts, 4 AB.- used; 8 M.D.s-cow, 10 Inter(val), 12 Rennat, 14 Entitle, 17gated what she is given to eat,
We have never really investi- Telegraph Omco where we work. But I don't know. I have a Ness, 19 Centres 20 Monitor, 22 Onus 23 Measles, 27 Detést, 20But on several occasions the has and drink a glass of Russian to miss the Hotel National, her There we discuss the situation feeling that Lesley Anne is going A-rlec, 30 Sombre 31 Settle, 32 Leave. Down: 1 Somme, 2 come back reeking of garlle. champagne... W Reset, Sport, 5 Brie(1); 6 Setter, 7′′ Duress, D Wo-L-come, 11
choup and friends the chamberthälds, and Nantes, 13 Peer(L)em. 13 Noon, 10 Irises, 18 Sere, 20 Morans, after, I had spent the best part Lesley Anne joins us with a pics,
memorable morning, vory palatable.
especially those smelly, ondori 21 Nudiat, 24 Atoli, 28′Libra, 20 Scene, 28 Tell,
of the night reporting a Khrish- glass of fruit juice, Insisting on... —(London Kupreso - Harčico}{
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