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The Case Of The Sea Serpent's Head

lordmongrove

Justified & Ancient
Joined
May 30, 2009
Messages
4,891
MODEL OF CHINA`S DRAGON

Head of sea serpent recently captured displayed in Honolulu

Honolulu is the possessor of the head of a real sea serpent. The intact bones of the curious head are on exhibition in the window of a store in that city,and hundreds of curious people crowd around the place waiting to get a glimpse of the strange object,says a recent report to the New York Sun. William Herbert Melton Ayres brought to Hawaii what is probably the first head of a serpent to be placed on exhibition. He came to Hawaii seven years ago ,later went to Shanghai and a short time ago he returned to Honolulu
quite unexpectedly .

He walked into the office of the Bulletin and asked if that paper cared to have a story about a sea serpent. He was asked not to slam the door in going out. Nothing daunted, Ayres again descended on the office,bearing a large carpet bag. Depositing the package on the sporting editor`s desk he insisted upon opening it,and revealed to the surprised gaze of all the bones of the head of a huge sea monster. The jawbones measured about four feet, the head being a couple of feet wide. There were 160 teeth, 80 upper and as many lower. The specimen was utterly unlike anything seen as far as the records go. Ayres stated that he had purchased the head from a Chinese fisherman who had found the body of the serpent washed upon the shore, the body measuring 78 feet, apparently having been killed by some passing steamer.

Ayres believes that the serpent thus discovered is a descendant of the monster which inspired the dragon upon the flag of China. (Remember this is long before the flag the Communists adopted in 1949.)


https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?b...942620163176131793&page=1&token=1505844674479

Supposed sea serpent's head on display in Hawaii. I'm trying to get hold of the photo.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just for the record ...

William Herbert Melton Ayres was apparently a well-known newspaper man and publisher in Honolulu during the first decade of the 20th century.

This makes it somewhat odd that he would be approaching a newspaper to publish a story about something in his possession, when he could simply have written / published it himself.

According to the October 18, 1913, issue of the publishing trade paper The Fourth Estate:

https://books.google.com/books?id=4...ge&q="william herbert" "melton ayres"&f=false

... Ayres had unexpectedly inherited the titles Baron d'Avourcourt / Lord Fitzjohn and was moving to England.
 
Over in the Sea Serpents & Monsters thread, Sharon Hill posted this link to a webpage with more info and some photos - including a photo of the 'head' Ayres exhibited:

http://globsterblobsandmore.com/others/fishes/the-sea-serpent-dragons-head-of-ningpo-1905/


Ayres-Head.jpg

The linked article concludes that Ayres' 'head' was actually the mandibular arch of a shark.
 
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