Blue Men of the Minch

A review of "Mysterious Creatures, Vol 1" 

This is the first volume of a two-part work covering cryptids and their allies. A “cryptid” is an animal unknown to science but known from folklore and/or stray observations. Bigfoot, Yeti and the Loch Ness monster are famous “cryptids”. The people collecting observations of the same are known as cryptozoologists. While a few such are real scientists, I think it's safe to assume that most cryptozoologists are lay enthusiasts. Official science-dom considers the field to be pseudo-scientific, and deny that Bigfoot and similar creatures even exist. Personally, I don't deny that cryptozoology is one part folklore, one part paranormal research and one part exciting exploration, with proper science pretty much subsumed under these three, but I don't necessarily consider that a problem. At least it's entertaining, and personally, I think many of these elusive beings will one day turn out to be real animals (or even real ghosts).

As for this encyclopedia, it should be commended for being very thorough and fully referenced. It covers both “classical” cryptids, creatures only known from mythology, and beings bordering on the supernatural. Some strict flesh-and-blood cryptozoologists might take offense at this, but as a matter of fact, it's not easy to draw a border between “real but unknown animal” and “ghost/angel/demon”. Many cryptids have traits of both, which is hardly surprising – real but rare animals will be mythologized, just as demonic creatures from folklore might be “secularized” by modern observers. (To take an example not related to this book, the Animal Planet series “Finding Bigfoot” has turned werewolf observations into Bigfoot observations, interpreting the latter as an unknown primate.) Even more controversially, the editor has included a long chapter on misidentification and hallucination, which even quotes skeptical researcher Joe Nickell!

Among the cryptids and allies covered in this volume (A to M) are mystery cetaceans, the very real Arizona Jaguar, the more unreal (or perhaps undead) Alien Big Cats, the entire Bigfoot phenomenon, the Batsquatch (only one observation so far) and even “Lost Birds of Paradise”. Patty of Patterson-Gimlin fame have been given an entire entry all her own. As behooves a mega-work of this nature, there are many creatures here I literally never heard about before: the Boobrie, the Blue Men of the Minch, Domenech's Pseudo-Goat, the Daisy Dog and the Deep Sea Spider (I will avoid the deep sea from now on). Mythological beasts covered include the Akephalos, the Basilisk and the Garuda. Each entry attempts a short description of the cryptid in question, mentions significant observations, and discusses possible explanations, including “natural” ones. Thus, the Deep Sea Spider might be an oversized sea spider (Pantopoda), or a surviving proto-scorpion from a very early geological period in Earth's history (none of the options sound particularly reassuring).

Obviously, a serious researcher should obtain both volumes of this work. (Highlights of the second one include Pygmy Elephants, Springheel Jack and the Wildman.) Five stars both for the idea and the eventual execution!

Door-stopper in the jungle

A review of "Birds of New Guinea, Second Edition" (Princeton Field Guides)

This expensive door-stopper isn't simply a “field guide”, but rather a handbook to all birds found in or around New Guinea. It covers 779 bird species, many of which are endemic to the island. Highlights include cassowaries, bowerbirds and birds of paradise. If you're a specialist, painted berrypeckers, ifrits and melampittas just might rock your world.

Color plates, range maps and short species presentations are on facing pages, but the bulk of the information can be found in a separate text-only section further back in the book. The first part of the book contains an introduction to the ecology, geology, biogeography and avifauna of New Guinea, including a somewhat tedious discussion on new species and subspecies. It also contains practical tips for bird-watchers who want to visit the region. The main advice is *not* to visit if you are a newbie. Considering the fact that a cassowary might actually kill you if angered, that sounds like sound advice!

For some reason, the “New Guinea Region as defined by Mayr 1941” doesn't cover the Bismarck Archipelago, Manus and Bougainville, which are politically part of Papua New Guinea. Nor does it cover the Torres Strait Islands, which are culturally close to New Guinea, although politically part of Australia. It does cover the Aru Islands off New Guinea's west coast, which politically aren't part of any mainland territory. I'm not sure why “Mayr 1941” laid out the regional borders in this way, but hopefully it had something to do with the makeup of the actual avifauna…

As an interesting side point, Jared Diamond was involved in the making of this book. Yes, the all-knowing geography professor and popular science writer was an ornithologist in a previous life, writing papers with funny-sounding names such as “Geophagy in New Guinea birds”. I admit that I'm impressed!

One thing is for sure: if you are an experienced “birder” who absolutely want to see the world's most exotic feathered dinosaurs in their natural habitat, this is the volume you better get used to carry around in the jungle…

Fantastic...er, Mandarin Ducks

"The Book of Fantastic Birds" by Peter Barrett and Jane Carruth is a book for children. It's part of a never-ending series of books about fantastic animals, machines, weapons...fantastic everything, actually.

Most of the fantastic birds are easy picks: the ostrich, the hummingbird, the shoebill, the hornbill, the condor, assorted birds of paradise...

But what on earth are the Great Horned Owl and the Mandarin Duck doing in a book on cool-looking birds??? COME ON.

Why not throw in a bunch load of icterids when you're at it?

But sure, this book might be of interest to your 10-year old kids, so I give it four stars anyway. Besides, I *was* disappointed when the implanted Mandarin Ducks were removed from the bird lake of my childhood... :-(

Ararat, we have a problem

Karl Shuker is a maverick biologist who stints as a Fortean writer and researcher. This book, "Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo" contains his articles for Fortean Times, a British publication about the unusual, the paranormal and the plain weird. Shuker's regular features are titled "Alien Zoo" and "The lost ark". They deal with cryptozoology, but frequently stray into the realms of folklore, hoaxes and even religion. I didn't know Noah had to save so many bizarre critters on the ark! Ararat, we have a problem...

Shuker's menagerie of marvels include sqrats (supposed hybrids between rats and squirrels), the water tiger of Ecuador, transparent catfish, a centipede with an odd number of legs (all others have an even number of legs), Unidentified Glowing Objects, snake-headed dogs, 7 foot tall flightless birds in the Mount Adams area of Washington State (?!), snakes that crows like cockerels, the Navajo Flying Snake, the Dinosaur Kangaroo and a tasty bird known as the Müshmurgh. There is also the gigantic Mongolian Death Worm, a fallen creature if there ever was one.

A staggering amount of sea-monsters have been reported, with names like Hessie, Messie, Gryttie and Oggy. Any relation to Nessie? Many other cryptids also have unforgettable names: Altamaha-ha, Makalala, Hantu Jarang Gigi, Ensut-Ensut, Tsere-Yawá, Öfuguggi, Skeljaskrimsli and Urdaköttur. Don't even ask me what those are - I don't have the book handy as I speak. OK, I think I remember the Öfuguggi. It's a dangerous, large cod with forward-pointing fins, stalking the seas around Iceland. In modern Icelandic, the word apparently means "pervert". If you are a fish noodler, don't touch!

In Ecuador, the Natives have reported a black panther with black, red, white and yellow stripes on its chest. Naturally, it's locally known as the rainbow tiger. In South Africa, the locals have spotted a bizarre beast "yellow in colour, serpentine in overall form, horse-like head, mane and a body the shape of a 20-quart barrel". The local cattle are said to have become restless at the sight of the creature. The gods must be crazy, yes?

Of course, we're not *really* supposed to take any of this at face value - it's a Fortean book, after all. Even Shuker admits that some of his case files might be hoaxes. Sometimes the bluff is easy to call. Surely a Loof Lirpa cannot be a real animal? Read that backwards, slowly! In other cases, the hoax is less obvious. A reader in Sweden, a certain Malcolm Sewell, claimed that there are two mysterious thunderbirds in the Swedish woods, known as "kungsörn" and "slaguggla". In reality, those are the Swedish names for Golden Eagle and Ural Owl, respectively. No mystery there - if your first language is Swedish. Luckily, Fortean Times have readers in Scandinavia who pointed out the joke (or error) to Shuker. As for the mysterious Mr. Sewell, I'm afraid we have to dispatch an Alien Abduction Team to his little red cottage AND TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. Kidding...

In fact, many of the "cryptids" mentioned in "Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo" seem to be creatures of folklore. It seems every area of the world has its very own big, hairy beast. There are even a few reports from Britain, including the Shropshire Union Canal Man-Monkey and Old Ned's Devil. I would like to see the team from "Finding Bigfoot" descend on a small pub in the British countryside, trying to sniff out Old Ned. Small, hairy, pygmy-like humans are also common. Trolls? Mermen and mermaids are another folkloristic classic, spotted both in the oceans and in large inland lakes such as the Caspian Sea.

Shuker even mentions a couple of cryptids known only from religious legend. The Book of Mormon, famously or otherwise, talks about "cureloms and cumoms". No, ma'm, that's not history. In Spain, there used to be a holy relic of a feather from the wings of the angel Gabriel. Another curious medieval relic was a piece of skin from the snake in Eden. Apparently, Adam killed and skinned the snake after the fall?! On a more serious note, Shuker also discusses a number of early modern paintings which show unknown birds. (Errol Fuller has produced an entire book about such birds, "Lost Birds of Paradise".) Even a modern painting by Gaugin might show a bird unknown to science.

I'm not sure how to rate this nerdbook to end all nerdbooks (something tells me the average reader is a 15 year old boy), but since it does have a certain entertainment value, I'll give it four stars. But please don't say I didn't warn you...

Lost in paradise

"Birds of the gods" is a documentary narrated by David Attenborough. It follows a team of local scientists in New Guinea, as they attempt to find various birds of paradise and document their behaviour.

Perfect if you are a great fan of Attenborough, or love to see mating rituals of birds of paradise. If not, you might actually get bored after about half an hour, despite the spectacular displays of said birds. Weirdly, the male birds often display even when no females are around, suggesting that *they* don't get bored!

I thought this would be a grand treat, but I soon felt lost in paradise. Still, less than four stars feel uncharitable to the crew filming these strange refugees from Eden...

The tragedy of extinct birds

Errol Fuller´s "Extinct Birds" is a kind of encyclopaedia about all or most birds known to have gone extinct for the past 400 years. It's lavishly illustrated, with reproductions of paintings or illustrations from old books on natural history. Some of the paintings turn out to be made by Errol Fuller himself!

The birds come in systematic order. All the well known cases of extinction are covered: dodo, passenger pigeon, Carolina parakeet, the great moa birds, the ivory billed woodpecker, the great auk... A few extinct races are also covered, including the Tasmanian emu. The most intriguing chapter deals with "mystery birds". The author reaches the conclusion that the white dodo of Réunion never actually existed, except in the imagination of European Baroque painters! There are also some illustrations of "lost" birds of paradise.

The book is an excellent addition to any coffee table. You might also consider it as a birthday or Christmas gift. At the same time, it feels very tragic. Once gone, an extinct bird will never come back. Even apart from the fact that it takes longer for Mother Nature to evolve them, than it takes for us to exterminate them...

Birds and bowers

This is the 14th volume of the mega-encyclopaedia "Handbook of the Birds of the World" (HBW), published by Lynx Editions.

This volume covers 17 passerine families, including bowerbirds, birds of paradise, corvids, starlings and Old World sparrows. All species are extensively described and illustrated on large colour plates.

There are also introductory chapters to the various families, complete with photos. Some of these are quite spectacular, including a drongo attacking an eagle, a House Crow chasing a flying fox, and a raven being attacked by a kestrel. Some other photos are more humorous, such as the one with a small girl eating ice cream, while the tray besides hers is frequented by House Sparrows. For whatever reason, the photographers seem to love birds sitting on top of cows, camels and buffaloes!

The most bizarre group of birds covered in this volume are presumably the bowerbirds, their "bowers" sometimes eerily resembling small human-built huts, complete with neatly arranged colourful objects outside, almost as if somebody was preparing a ritual of some sort. Indeed, the natives of Australia and New Guinea assumed that the bowerbirds *were* conducting rituals, and believed these birds to be supernatural. After watching the photos of bowerbirds and their bowers in this book, I see why!

As usual, the HBW is extremely expensive and the text is rather heavy. This is a book for the reference section of a university library, rather than something for the average reader. Still, the colour plates and fanciful photographs make it well worth waiting for, in case you do order it!

Both this volume and earlier ones can be ordered directly from the publisher.