The Florida agriculturist., 1884-11-05
Sub Marine Monster.
STRANGE FISH OR REPTILE CAPTURED IN
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

STRANGE FISH OR REPTILE CAPTURED IN
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
A strange marine monster was brought
to this city yesterday, says the Nashville
american, and will be put on exhibition
this week, in building near the square.
Bill Orley and Nick Moley, two old fish
ermen, caught it in the river just above
the water works few days ago, and
since that time it has been fastened Sc
curely to the river bank by stakes driven
around it's body, in addition to which it
is hog-chained by the tail to the bank.
When seen in this position yesterday it
appeared to be about the size of New
foundland dog. 1t had webbed feet,
that were attached to the body by legs
without joints. Its body and back, ex
cept the stomach, is covered with large,
diamond-shaped bony scales. The long,
coarse yellow hair growing out of these
scales and the skin, which bulges out in
welts between the scales, hangs together
like that on an Angora goat, and is as
coarse and tough as cocoanut skin fibers.
But it's mouth is well worth a detailed
description. 1t is certainly the most
hideous opening that is developed in the
countenance of any animal extant, or
told about by scientists 1t is about the
size of that of large alligator, but
shaped like that of a shovel-nosed shark,
being very blunt at the end. And the
teeth! There are no less than three
rows of them in both the upper and low
er part of the mouth. The teeth are all
short, diamond shaped and jagged, the
upper rows fitting into the lower rows,
and the jaws working latterally, so as to
make the teeth grind to powder every
thing that falls into them. The reptile,
devil-fish, or whatever it is, crawls side
ways like crab, and it's eyes are placed
one above the other in the top of the
skull, and bulge out like pegs on hat
rack. There are no lids to the eyes, so
that the animal cannot wink, but it pops
it's eyes in and out of the sockets SO fast
when the monster is angry that the noise
made by this working of the eyes is sim
liar to the sound made by cows feet
when the animal is wading in soft, deep
mud. The tail is shaped like that of
a beavers and is covered with warts of
various sizes, the smallest being about
the size of a dime, and the largest about
the size of half dollar. Each OF these
warts seem to possess the power of NOV
ing separately from the other, and when
the whole mass gets to working it is
something frightful to behold 1t has
rather more the appearance of swarm
of bees hanging from the limb of tree,
than anything else, and is altogether the
most sickening sight imaginable. The
whole animal is covered with a thick
green slime, which seems to ooze out of
Its body, and especially its tail, where it
seems to originate from the center of
small mouths or openings, one of which
is the center of each of the warts men
toned. When prodded with stick the
animal snaps its eyes, grinds its teeth,
and each particular hair stands on end,
and every inch of its body seems to
writhe, squirm, and jerk on is own ac-
count and in the manner and direction
that seem to give it most comfort. The
tongue is forked and black, and darts in
and out like that of sea-serpent.
The two fishermen who captured it
have followed this means of making a
livelihood for many years. 1t seems that
the existence of this animal has been
known to them and a number of old riv-
er men il his city for a number of years.
They sa it has made its abode under
high ba IN the leit-hand side as you
90 up Il riv p pAce suitable for
such i ,le 1g9nnv iaoking thing 10
! live wi ~ stati9a They have
been mn ann y'i bv rniS reptile, and
have be put great deal OF expense
in repa S Arr lines, az tish-hooks