Old Fourlegs

by J.L.B. Smith

In 1938 a South African trawler caught a very peculiar creature. Astounded by its appearance, Professor J. L. B. Smith decided it must be a coelacanth*, a type of prehistoric fish known only from fossils and believed to have become extinct at least 50 million years ago.

To find more specimens became his life-task. He searched the ocean off Eastern Africa. He distributed thousands of leaflets offering a reward. For 14 years he sought in vain.

Suddenly came a telegram: a coelacanth had been caught off a tiny island far from the mainland. Professor Smith was frantic. Transport must be got before the fish decayed in the tropical heat. How he browbeat South Africa's Prime Minister into authorising the despatch of a military plane makes the climax to a highly dramatic story.

*pronounce seel-a-canth

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Natural History

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

James Leonard Brierley Smith, known as J.L.B. Smith (26 October 1897 – 7 January 1968) was a South African ichthyologist, organic chemist and university professor. He was the first to identify a taxidermied fish as a coelacanth, at the time thought long extinct.

Born in Graaff-Reinet, Smith was the elder of two sons of Joseph Smith and his wife, Emily Ann Beck. Educated at country schools at Noupoort, De Aar, and Aliwal North, he finally matriculated in 1914 from the Diocesan College, Rondebosch. He obtained a BA degree in Chemistry from the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1916 and an MSc degree in Chemistry at Stellenbosch University in 1918. Smith went to the United Kingdom, were he received his Ph.D at Cambridge University in 1922. After returning to South Africa, he became Senior Lecturer and later on an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.

From 1922 to 1937 he was married to Henrietta Cecile Pienaar, who was a descendant of Andrew Murray, and whose father was a minister of the NG Kerk at Somerset West. There were three children of that marriage.

In Grahamstown he met Margaret Mary Macdonald, born at Indwe in the Eastern Cape on 26 September 1916. After her school education she studied at Rhodes University where she obtained a B.Sc. degree in Physics and Chemistry. She had intended studying medicine, but in 1938 married Smith and became his assistant in the department of ichthyology at the university.

His interest in ichthyology was sparked in childhood during a vacation in Knysna.

In 1938 Smith was informed of the discovery of an unusual and unidentified fish by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the East London Museum. When he arrived in East London in February 1939, he was able to identify it immediately as a coelacanth, which was then thought to have been extinct for over 65 million years, and he named the species Latimeria after her. He was instrumental in organising the search which provided science with the second specimen of the species 14 years later.

Smith and his wife Margaret worked jointly on the popular Sea Fishes of South Africa, which was first published in 1949, followed by other writings until 1968. Among these were over 500 papers on fish and the naming of some 370 new fish species.

Smith took his own life in 1968 by cyanide poisoning, following a long illness. His widow Margaret founded the Institute of Ichthyology in Grahamstown. His son is the renowned South African television science and mathematics teacher William Smith.

Reviews

[Tilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raamat, mille puhul minu ootused ei täitunud, kuid mille lugemist ma hetkekski ei kahetse. Hiljuti loetud Sephen B. Heard raamatus „Charles Darwini nuivähk ja Davide Bowie ämblik“ on peatükk, mis räägib East Londoni (LA) muuseumikuraatorist Marjorie Courtenay-Latimerist (1907 – 2004), kelle auks pandi nimi kalale, kes arvati olevat välja surnud vähemalt 50 miljonit aastat tagasi. Just sellest muuseumikuraatorist lootsin ma lugeda kuid temast olid siin vaid üksikud leheküljeld, temast tasub lugeda pigem siis juba Heardi raamatust – temast on seal huvitavamalt.

J. L. B. Smithi raamat „Kuidas avastati latimeeria“ räägib, üllatus, üllatus, kuidas täpselt nö elus fossiil latimeeria avastati. Ja see lugu on vägev.
Ühesõnaga, naine nimega Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, olles määratud East Londoni peamiselt kohaliku elustiku eksponeeriva muuseumi juhatajaks, oli sõlminud kokkuleppe kohalike kaluritega, et viimased hoiavad silmad lahti ning teavitavad teda, kui midagi põnevat välja püüavad. Nii juhtuski, et 22.12.1938. aastal kalameeste järjekordset saaki uurides leidis miss Latimer pooleteise meetri pikkuse kala, millist ei tema ega kohalikud kalurid iial varem näinud ei olnud. Kala tundus nii erakordne, et miss Latimer veenis taksojuhti teda koos 57,5 kg kaaluva haisva kalaga kai juurest muuseumisse transportima. Ta püüdis kala kirjanduse abil tuvastada, kuid see ei õnnestunud. Ta võttis ühendust James Smithiga, kes tola ajal oli veel Lõuna – Aafrika Liidu Grahamstowne`i ülikooli keemiaprofessor JA hobi-ihtüoloog, kuid eksamiperioodi tõttu ei olnud viimasel võimalik koheselt kala vaatama tulla. Miss Latimer ei jätnud jonni, ta joonistas kala üles ja saatis kirjelduse Smithile. Olles saanud Smithilt kinnituse, et kalal võib olla suur teaduslik väärtus, püüdis ta kala igati säilitada. Piisavalt suurt külmikut polnud ja formaliini ei olnud ka ja nii lasi miss Latimer kalast topise teha. Kui Smith lõpuks saabus, sai ta topist uurides kohe aru, et tegu on eelajaloolise elukaga, vihtuimsete (alam)klassi õõnesogaliste seltsi kuuluva tsölakandiga, keda seni arvati olevat ammu ilma välja surnud ja tunti üksnes kivististe põhjal, millede vanus on 70-380 miljonit aastat. Järgmisel päeval said nii Smith kui miss Latimer maailmakuulsaks.
Raamat sisaldab palju detaile. Kirjavahetusi, fotosid ja jooniseid, pressiteateid, raadiosaadete ülestähendusi jm, mh on raamatul viis lisa, mis räägivad kalast endast, sellest, mille poolest ta erineb kõigist teistest kaladest, põlvnemisest ning miks elusa tölakandi avastamine nii tähtis on. Professor Smith kirjutab oma läbielamistest ja raskustest, siiralt, suure emotsiooniga, kohati tundub, et kirjeldab konkreetselt iga mõtet või tundmust, kõhklusi, kahtlusi ja hirme, rääkimata tegevustest. Ka õnnestumistest, muidugi. Smithil kulus teise tsölakandi leidmiseks 14 aastat ning veel mõnda aega, et avastada kalade kodupaik (India ookeanis, Komoori saarestiku vetes). Kui professori emotsionaalsed läbielamised, samuti konkreetselt kalaga seotud teaduslikud arutlused, aga ka nt kala leidmiseks korraldatud ekspeditsioonide kirjeldused olid huvitavad lugeda, siis iga üksiku telefonikõne kirjeldused mingisugune hetk enam ei olnud. Oskan isegi hetke nimetada. Hetk oli kusagil poole raamatu peal, kui püüti teine tölakant ning professoril oli vaja lennukit, et kalani jõuda. Lennuki saamiseks (jõuluõhtul) helistas vaene mees kümnetele ametnikele, sai igal pool oodata ja eitava vastuse, sai vaata et närvivapustuse ( kalad ju ei säili kaua) ja mina temaga koos. Sest tõesti, kaua võib. Kõike.
Raamat annab mh päris hea ülevaate probleemidest, millega teadlastel tol ajal, aga kahtlustan, et ka tänasel päeval, rinda pista tuleb. Kohutav bürokraatia ja lõputud vaidlused rahastuse üle. Lisaks erinevad huvide konfliktid, ametnike või poliitikute omavaheliste kaikavedamistest alustades ja riikidevahelisteni välja.
Meeldis, kuidas kalast rääkivas raamatus joonistub välja kala otsinud ja uurinud professori isiksus. Meeletu professionaalne kirg ja inimlik, kohati vist isegi üliinimlik, visadus, millega professor (oma) kala taga ajas, on köitev. Ja siis veel see, et lõpuks läks kõik hästi. Elukas leiti, professori unistused täitusid, jee.

St, ma olen nüüd pool interneti ka otsa läbi lugenud. Raamatu esmatrükk ilmus 1956. aastal ja tundub, mõned tol ajal tsölakanti puudutavad uskumused/ teadmised on tänaseks teadlaste poolt ümber lükatud, palju uut on teada saadud, kuid see minu meelest ei vähenda antud raamatu väärtus.
Kuidagi ootamatult hea raamat.

[Rick Elinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coelacanth, thought to have been extinct for more than 50 million years, was discovered and identified in 1938 by Margaret Courtenay-Latimer and J.L.B. Smith. This fish caused world-wide scientific excitement and attention to South Africa, and this book is Smith's 1956 account of the discovery and his prolonged attempts to find a second specimen. Even though you know how it turns out, Smith's detailed descriptions of the trials and tribulations of the search are Kafkaesque. Layered over this unbelievable discovery is the veneer of colonialism and a white man's view of natives. On top of that, Smith's 1952 success in acquiring the second coelacanth depended on the extraordinary intervention by the Prime Minister, D.F. Malan. Smith, understandably, has only praise for Malan, but Malan was the architect of apartheid.

[Жанна Пояркова · Rating 4 out of 5]

Если ставить оценки открытию и упорству исследователя, то это пять. Если ставить оценки книге как таковой, то она суховата.

[Travis Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent warts-and-all tale told by a scientist, that will give you great insight into what it's like to be one of these weird, obsessive types who just HAVE to figure things out.

[gооdread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and funny book about a fascinating episode of scientific history.
(But also extremely racist)

[David Levell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One of my most constant and peculiar obsessions had always been a conviction that I was destined to discover some quite outrageous creature" – JLB Smith.

And he did, too. The discovery of the coelacanth in 1938 is well known in thumbnail version – supposedly long-extinct fish found in fishing net – but the full story of the one that got away for 65 million years is quite a fisherman’s tale.

It begins with a sharp-eyed museum curator, Miss Latimer, who realised a curious specimen brought in by an obliging fisherman was something beyond extraordinary. She did her best to save it for the expert eye of JLB Smith, South Africa’s foremost ichthyologist. He identified the prehistoric survivor, dubbing it Latimeria chalumnae in her honour. Plenty more drama ensues with Smith's 14-year quest for a second specimen, which finally surfaced off the Comoros Islands in 1952.

Ironically after 65 million years time was short. Battles against red tape, suspicious officials, South African politicians, Christmas holiday ennui and the tyranny of distance make this book quite a cliffhanger, with Smith forever racing to chase up clues and reach specimens before they putrify beyond usefulness.

At the time of publication (1956) Smith thought he had identified two species, but later it became apparent they were the same. Of course coelacanths were nothing new to Comoro fishermen, who knew them as the very oily and far from tasty gombessa. A second coelacanth species finally showed up in 1998 off Indonesia. Googling for more info, I was shocked to find the curmudgeonly but likeable JLB Smith killed himself with cyanide barely a decade later, beset by terminal illness. And the intrepid Captain Hunt, another hero of the tale, died in a shipwreck almost as soon as the book came out.

Meanwhile, we’re still pulling those weird blue fish out of the deeps and wondering what other surprises the sea has in store.

[Alexandra Makini]

Latimeria-Chalumnae
Marjorie Courtney-Latimer; Captain Goosen (22 December 1938)

Malania-Anjouanae (east coast of the Comoran island between the northern tip of Madagascar and continent.
Eric Hunt; Ahmed Hussein of Domoni (21 December 1952)

(www.dinofish.com; http://nature.ca/discover/treasures/f...)