At the beginning of the 21st Century monsters still roam the remote, and sometimes not so remote, corners of our planet. It is our job to search for them. The Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] is - we believe - the largest professional, scientific and full-time organisation in the world dedicated to cryptozoology - the study of unknown animals. Since 1992 the CFZ has carried out an unparalleled programme of research and investigation all over the world. Since 2009 we have been running the increasingly popular CFZ Blog Network, and although there has been an American branch of the CFZ for over ten years now, it is only now that it has a dedicated blog.
THE DIARIST AND THE SNAKE
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| Samuel Pepys |
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was an English politician. His name, in case you were wondering, is pronounced Peeps. He is particularly famous as a diarist - his Diaries are a classic of English literature.
Samuel wrote about a peculiar snake of which he had been told that was to be found in Lancashire. In those days Lancashire was somewhat larger than it is today - it included the present counties of Lancashire and Merseyside. This snake had a most unusual power. If a lark were to fly overhead, it would maneuver itself under it and spit venom skywards. This would strike the unfortunate bird, which would plummet into the awaiting open mouth of the snake. Why this reptile should have confined itself to larks, I do not know. Maybe it sometimes devoured other small birds, killing them in a similar manner.
Pepys knew of this snake by report only. Maybe the report had grown somewhat in the telling. Certainly no such reports emanate from the area today.
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