N 
THE ZooLoGist—JUuLy, 1875. 4527 
upon the same side of one broad sheet, “ printed in London for 
Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal 
Exchange in Cornhil.” The fourth letter is in manuscript, and 
the second broadsheet or advertisement was evidently printed in 
Dublin, so as to be distributed in the form of a handbill. 
The drawing represents a cuttle-fish, with broad ovate body 
covered by a loosely-folded mantle. A pointed extremity, or 
tail, with what appears like the two lobes of a fin, is shown as 
projecting beyond the mantle. The head bears two enormous 
eyes, and above them rise on each side the eight short arms, 
each bearing two rows of suckers along their entire length. In 
the centre are seen the two longer arms or tentacles, which are 
drawn as thick as the rest, and are quite bare and smooth, with no 
suckers, tapering upwards into a point, as if the club, or expanded 
portion, had been torn off. But the most extraordinary feature is 
the so-described extensible proboscis, which is represented as 
rather thicker than the tentacular arms and is slightly expanded 
at the top, swelling into a small rounded knob or “head,” upon 
which two small eyes are roughly indicated, and which bears the 
mandibles. 
So circumstantial is the account given by the different persons 
concerned, and the minute details appear in the main to be so 
like truth, that I do not see why the extensible proboscis should 
not be accepted as correct, though of course the little eyes may 
have been added as ornaments by the enterprising showman. 
This character, if real, must necessarily be of generic value, and I 
think that our Kerry “ monster,” not having yet received a scientific 
name, may very well be designated as Dinoteuthis proboscideus. 
I now proceed to give the various documents in regular order, 
and with the ancient spelling scrupulously preserved :— 
“ A true Relation of a strange Monster that lately was by a Storm 
driven ashore at Dingle-I-cosh in the county of Kerry in 
Treland, with letters testimonial under the hands of credible 
Eye-witnesses.” 
Letter No. 1 from Thomas Hooke of Dublin to Mr. John 
Wickins, at the Mearmaid in Milk-street, London. 
“ Loving Friend, I had heard of this following relation yesterday, 
but not knowing the certainty of it, did not regard the writing of 
it; but this evening sent to a very worthy man who tels me he 
