ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 53 



beach in the North Harbour, Peterhead. It was much swollen when 

 I saw it, and appeared to be over 30 feet long, and from 1 8 to 20 

 feet in circumference. The mouth was open, and showed whalebone 

 about 6 inches long of a yellowish colour. It had a long-looking 

 fin with a grayish white bar across it. The Lesser Rorqual is to be 

 met with all over the Northern Ocean, mostly solitary. They are 

 sometimes seen in herds in the early part of the summer north-east 

 from Iceland. In the days of sailing ships, when there was little 

 wind, they often came close to the ship, evidently examining her 

 very closely. A favourite position of theirs was to lie close under 

 the stern with their nose against the rudder. One came alongside 

 the sailing-ship " Eclipse " on the passage home. The whaling gear 

 being still in the boats, a harpoon was fired into it, and a great 

 length of line was run out before being stopped. It was eventually 

 killed and flenched. On opening the stomach, a large tubful of 

 fresh herrings were found and eaten by the crew, who enjoyed the 

 feast very much. DAVID GRAY, Peterhead. 



Wood Mouse in the Outer Hebrides. Messrs. Harvie-Brown 

 and Buckley, in their account of the fauna of the Outer Hebrides, 

 do not mention having found this mouse in any of the islands of 

 this group. The Wood Mouse (Mus sylvaticus) occurs in the islands 

 of St. Kilda and The Lews, and I was fortunate in obtaining a very 

 nice series of skins on the western side of the latter island during 

 last summer. I failed to catch any examples of the House Mouse 

 (Mus musculus). The country people could not distinguish my 

 specimens from the mouse which they told me was so plentiful in 

 and about the houses during winter, therefore I think these mice 

 (sylvaticus) must come in from the moors to a great extent ; for I do 

 not see how they could lay up much store to support themselves 

 during that season in a place where there is no grain or fruit. 

 W. E. de WINTON, Graftonbury, Hereford. 



Carrion Crow. Hen Harrier, and Eagles in Islay. In several 

 recent books on Natural History, Messrs Harvie-Brown and Buckley's 

 " Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides " is quoted as showing that 

 there was no information as to the Carrion Crow (C. corone} being 

 observed in Islay. Though long after date, I propose to supply this 

 deficiency. I came to Islay in 1875, and found this house surrounded 

 by plantations. The place had stood vacant for a year, and the 

 woods around were a perfect paradise for what gamekeepers call 

 "vermin." Close to the house there were several nests of the long- 

 eared owl, three nests of sparrow-hawks, two of gray-backed crows, 

 and one nest of C. corone. I of course carefully protected owls, but 

 destroyed the rest. I shot the Carrion Crow off her nest, and found 

 it contained eggs. I have never come across a Carrion Crow since, 

 though every year gray-backed crows nest, and also appear in large 

 numbers in their autumnal migration chiefly seen on the sea- 



