46 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



of Aberdeen, to be given as a prize to the best student in Zoology, 

 Botany, or Geology ; or to former students for the best original 

 research work ; or for the best series of specimens worthy of being 

 placed in the Natural History Museum, or the Botanical Museum, 

 of the University. 



It is estimated that a sum of ,250, or thereby, would be 

 sufficient for both a becoming memorial at the grave and for such 

 a medal. 



Subscriptions may be made to the Rev. Dr. FARQUHARSON, Selkirk ; 

 or to the EDITORS of this Magazine. 



Phoea grcenlandiea on the Aberdeenshire Coast. Mr. Sim, 

 of Castle Street, Aberdeen, secured a skull of the Harp Seal, in 

 August 1897, from Cruden Bay. The Seal had evidently been 

 killed by blows on the head, and the occipital bones of the skull 

 were badly broken, so that its length cannot now be given. The 

 dentition was complete, and measured if inches in the lower, and 

 i-| inches in the upper jaw. The length of the lower jaw is 3! 

 inches, with the rami nearly parallel in front. The teeth are separate 

 and arranged in a straight line, this alone distinguishing it from the 

 Common Seal, P. vititlina. As this is a very rare mammal on the 

 coasts of Scotland, I asked Mr. Sim to allow me to send a note of 

 it to the " Annals. "--Wivi. TAYLOR, Lhanbryde. 



Supposed capture of a White Whale in the Tay Estuary. - 



The " Scotsman " for the 26th of November records that "there was 

 landed at Dundee Fish Market yesterday a White Whale \_Delphin- 

 apterus leucas] 4 feet 6 inches in length. The fish was caught at 

 the mouth of the Tay by some Broughty Ferry fishermen in the 

 morning, and is the first caught in the vicinity." 



Being interested in the occurrence of this rare Arctic species in 

 Scottish waters, we wrote to a valued correspondent at Dundee, 

 asking him if he could kindly procure for us some further particulars 

 concerning this interesting capture. To our great surprise, we were 

 informed that the supposed White Whale was nothing more than an 

 ordinary Porpoise (Phocccna communis) \ 



It appears to us to be highly desirable that correspondents and 

 others who write to the public press should consult some authority 

 before venturing to record creatures unknown to them. In this case 

 a reference to any book on British mammals would have sufficed, 

 and would have prevented the public from being misinformed and 

 naturalists from being misled. EDS. 



Bird Notes from Tiree. On the 23rd of September I observed 

 a Curlew Sandpiper (Tringa subarquata) some distance from the 

 shore and running along the margin of a small pool. It was very 

 tame, and allowed me to get quite close to it. This is the first 

 instance of its appearance in Tiree that I know of. 



