A GIANT SQUID ^ARCHITEUTHIST) ON SCOTTISH COAST 133 



OCCURRENCE OF A GIANT SQUID 

 {ARCHITEUTHIS) ON THE SCOTTISH COAST. 



By James Ritchie, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S.E. 



Discovery of Giant Squid. On Friday, the 2nd November 

 1917, a Scottish morning newspaper announced the stranding 

 of a large cuttle-fish in the neighbourhood of Skateraw on 

 the eastern coast of Haddingtonshire. Scarcely hoping that 

 the specimen could have survived the tides of the intervening 

 days, or the attentions of the curious, since its occurrence 

 had been reported, and scarcely believing that, even if it 

 were found, it would answer to the extraordinary account 

 given by the newspaper, I set off on Saturday morning in 

 quest of the invader. Fortunately the search was successful, 

 and I am able to place on record the only definite appear- 

 ance of a Giant Squid (Architeuthis) which has occurred on 

 the coasts of Great Britain. 



The specimen came ashore some half mile east of the 

 deserted harbour of Skateraw, and lay near high-water mark 

 on a shingly shore bounded by rocks uncovered at low tide. 

 Already the Squid had been mutilated to some extent by 

 earlier observers the coxswain at the lifeboat station 

 half a mile away attributed the damage to inquisitive boys 

 but sufficient remained to indicate the great size of the 

 creature. By subsequent inquiry I learned from Mr W. 

 Bertram, Hon. Central Secretary to the East Coast Fisheries 

 Association, that the Squid was first seen on the morning 

 of 29th October by Mr Fairbairn, coxswain of the Skateraw 

 lifeboat. 



Its Striking Features. The body proper was long, 

 stout, and cylindrical, bulging in the middle. It tapered 

 to the hinder extremity which, for a short distance, was 

 flanked by small fins. From tip of tail to base of tentacles 

 the body measured 5 feet 9 inches, its diameter at the middle, 

 as it lay rather flattened on the sand, was about 2 feet, 

 and the breadth of the tail fin was about 19 inches. From 

 the great head, whence the eyes had disappeared, owing 



