Rare Curiosity

MOOREHEAD

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/12/2012 at 09:23:22

Daily Iowa State Register, April 9, 1869

RARE CURIOSITY

The Maquoketa Sentinel of the 1st inst., published a column description of the capture of an animal near that city by a Mr. Moorehead, the like of which has not been seen since nobody knows when. Mr. Moorehead tracked a fox to a cave, and in attempting to gobble Reynard therein he awoke another passenger, and after an exciting tussle, had the satisfaction of seeing the wondrous animal lying at his feet. It is a representative of an order long since passed into oblivion, and if the story isn't an April Fool dodge, it is a valuable prize. The Sentinel says: "Upon examination it was found to be a species of the bat tribe, perhaps the last living representative of a race which has long since passed into oblivion, along with the monster Icthyosaurus, and other productions of the fossiliferous era, which we cannot call to remembrance just now, and if we could, they are necessary to establish the truth of this wondeful narrative, any how. In almost every particular it resembles the bat of the present day, except as to size, measuring just six feet from tip to tip of its wings and weighing thirty pounds. On its back is a bony protuberance in the shape of a hook, which was undoubtedly used to hang itself up to protruding rocks. It is supposed that it crawled through the aperature into the chamber when quite young, and remaining there too long was unable to make its escape, remaining there imprisoned for perhaps thousands of years, to be released at last only by the relentless hand of death. The hair on its back is of a beautiful dark brown color, and six inches in length-soft and silky."