Julius Bien (1826–1909)

Arrangements for Taking Composite Photographs of Skulls, 1886

The last thing I'd have expected to find above a Scottish beach.

Spotted below a rocky cliff above a stoney raised beach on the west coast of Scotland.

I first thought, a Seal until I turned it over to see the wide orbits instantly recognisable as a big cat.

The two canines were smashed, I've replaced them and the brain was still inside, dried up. Okay, so it had twine around the back and it had flakes of gold paint on it so it had been hanging up somewhere, maybe on a boat? It fell overboard and remained semi buoyant and ending up on the beach, someone maybe found it and moved it to the higher beach away from the tides and then I came along, an avid animal skull collector at the time . what are the chances!

A female Lion skull - 300cm in length.

FINNISH CRANIA

Zoology of Timor:under the direction of John Wanner in 1911 Timor-Expedition:By Frizzi, Ernst. Haniel, CB Hellmayr, CE Black, Ernst. on Flickr.