MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND 69 



skull of a species of this genus which may be from the Moray 

 Firth. I believe that members of this genus have been often 

 taken for Lagenorhynchus acntus, for the one animal is just as 

 much a white-sided dolphin as the other. With the exception 

 of a young skull in University College, Dundee, I know of 

 no other skull of L. aaitus in any Scotch museum. 



SEALS. 



It is surprising that many educated people in the north of 

 Scotland say there are only two species of seals found on our 

 coasts ; yet five or six species have been recorded from the 

 Scottish seas. Strange to say, Mr. Lydekker makes no 

 mention of PJioca barbata in his book on British mammals. 

 PJioca grcenlandica has been recorded from the coast of 

 Abercleenshire. I do not know of any record of PJioca 

 Jiispida in or near the Moray Firth. 



PHOCA VITULINA (Common Seal). 'Is often caught in 

 salmon-nets on both sides of the Moray Firth, and sometimes 

 dead ones are washed ashore. 



HALICII/ERUS GRYPUS (Gray Seal). Is also caught 

 occasionally in salmon-nets. I have the skull of a male 

 from Port-Gordon. A very large one was caught some years 

 ago near Burghead, but probably it is more frequently found 

 on the north side of the Moray Firth. 



Even the rare CystopJiora cristata may be looked for 

 in the Moray Firth, as it has been recorded from Orkney 

 within the past few years. 



As seals are sometimes cast ashore in a putrid state with 

 part of the hair wanting, the species cannot be identified 

 except by an examination of the skull. As I have the skulls 

 of three or four species always at hand, I should like to 

 receive notice of any dead specimens seen along the shores 

 of the Moray Firth, or have the skulls sent to me, whole or 

 broken, for the purpose of identification ; also of any 

 Whale or Porpoise over six feet long, for these should always 

 be seen and identified. 



LHANBRYDE, ELGIN. 



