SEA MONSTERS 203 



his world of many other sea animals scarcely less im- 

 pressive. Between the Orkneys and Hebrides, for example, 

 there was believed to dwell a race of lobsters so large that 

 they habitually waylaid and devoured fishermen. As 

 late as 1830 Mr. L. A. G. Bosc, in his "Natural History 

 of the Crustacea," gave a description of these lobsters and 

 their habits. He also set on record that off the coasts of 

 Tropical America there dwelt a race of man-eating crabs. 



It is conceivable that the sea serpent is yet another 

 instance of the nandi bear. This animal, though of 

 terrestrial origin, is very germane to the matter under 

 discussion since it illustrates to perfection how wild stories 

 may originate and the readiness with which they are 

 generally accepted. 



From 1920 until 1930 the press both at home and abroad 

 published from time to time reports of the mysterious 

 and sinister mammal reputed to live in the dark and gloomy 

 rain forests of Kenya Colony, an area which is much less 

 difficult of exploitation than the deep sea. The nandi 

 bear apparently blended man and hyasna. It could walk 

 erect, but was chiefly addicted to lying out upon some 

 overhanging branch and seizing women and children as 

 they passed beneath. In August, 1926, there came from 

 the Game Warden of Nairobi a report of the nandi bear 

 killing a child and decamping, but not before he had left 

 its spoor clearly visible, a print of one of these foot-marks 

 being taken by the Warden and forwarded to the " Field," 

 in which journal it was published. Reports became more 

 and more insistent and conflicting until in 1930 the Natural 

 History Museum authorities organised a thorough inves- 

 tigation. Every registered game warden or district 



