North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-11-11
A wonderful Fish.

A Wonderful Fish. ~
A singular fish was caught near East
port, Maine, few weeks ago. A picture
of it appears in Horper's Weekly, and the
following description is published by the
Bangor Why.
".The strange animal recently captured
near PASSPORT, meagre reports Of which
had reached US, arrived in this city few
DAYS ago, and has been on exhibition. dur
ing which time it has been visited by our
citizens, all Of whom have expressed their
wonder as well at the remarkable size of
the monster rs at M anamolous character.
This animal, part beast and part fish, is
over thirty feet in length, and girts TWEEN
ty-one. It has one enormous dorsal fin,
two side belly fins, and a broad, shark
like tail. About one-third Of its length
from its tail, in connection with small fins,
it has two huge legs, terminating in web
feet. Its mouth makes line five or six
feet in length, the whole extent Of which
is set with innumerable small teeth, very
much resembling in SIZE and shape the
kernel of species Of sharp-pointed pop
corn. 1t has series Of gills which
overlap each other like the flounces, once
the style in ladies' dresses. Its immense
weighed when captured about eleven tons,
had no framework Of bones, its most
solid portion consisting Of cartilage. inca
pable Of preservation. Its skin is dark
and tough, like that Of the elephant and
rhinoceros.
There is no record of his species, and to
none is it q greater wonder than to natur-
alists, whose attention is being drawn to
it. Among others who have had the
opportunity of seeing it, is Professor
Baird, Of the Smithsonian Institution at
Washington, who is as yet unable to place
it in the known lists of the animal king
dom. It is indeed a veritable wonder,
calculated to excite popular curiosity, and
to invite the researches Of the scientific.
At various times during the past fifteen
years strange monster, believed to be
huge serpent, has been reported seen in
Lake Utopia, inNew Brunswick, justacross
the State line hut as these reports in each
instance rested upon the testimony of but
one or two individuals, they were gener-
ally discredited. Latterly however, the
reports and the number Of witnesses had
50 increased as to take the story out of the
realm of fiction. On Sunday, Angus; 3,
the monster was discovered near the shore
on the west side of Eastport Island, where
Passamaquoddy Bay is connected with
Lake Utopia by a marsh quarter of mile
long. Being attacked by musketry' it
struck for the marsh, and probably for the
lake, which undoubtedly is its home, and,
before being rendered incapable Of loco
motion, it had worked its way with its fins
and legs q number of rods. The report of
its presence at once spread to the town,
attracting large number to the spot to
aid in its destruction. It received some
seventy musket-balls, and although at
tackled in the forenoon, it exhibited signs of
life the following day.
Thus the northeastern point of our
State, with the assistance of New Bruins
wick, has the honor of producing the
nearest approach to veritable sea ser
pent, which is destined to make popular
sensation wherever exhibited. It is to be
at Portland during the forthcoming State
Fair, and is thence bound for Boston,
New York, and other principal Cities