42 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 



Lesser Shrew on the summit of Ben Nevis. I was up Ben 

 Nevis on the 2yth of August last. On the 25th the cat belonging 

 to Mr. J. Niel, the cook employed in the Observatory, brought into 

 the kitchen a Lesser Shrew (Sorex minutus}. Mr. Niel says the cat 

 never goes but a short distance from the huts. I thought a Shrew 

 from the highest altitude of Great Britain an interesting capture and 

 worthy of record. H. W. FIELDEN, Wells, Norfolk. 



Sowerby's Whale in the Moray Firth. In the " Nairnshire 

 Telegraph " of 28th October last there appeared a notice of a Whale 

 aground a mile and a half east of Nairn harbour. It was supposed 

 to be a Bottle-nosed Whale. About a month afterwards I visited the 

 place, and found the carcass somewhat damaged, but still fresh. I 

 at once saw that it was not Hyperoodon restrains, as I had seen that 

 species in the flesh before. It turns out to be a male specimen of 

 Sowerby's Whale (Mesoplodon bidens\ nearly fifteen feet in length and 

 nine in girth. I secured the skull and most of the skeleton. Sir 

 Wm. Turner saw the skull, and confirmed my identification of the 

 species. 



The whole animal was black from snout to tail on ventral as 

 well as dorsal surface, the skin " shining like a well-polished shoe." 

 The blow-hole was very slightly crescentic, almost a transverse slit. 

 The following are some measurements of the skull and other parts : 

 Basal length of skull, 2 ft. 4 in. ; length of rostrum, i ft. 6 in. ; 

 breadth of rostrum (middle), 2 in. ; greatest breadth of skull, 1 1^ in. ; 

 height of skull through nares, 10^ in. ; length of sternum, i ft. 9 in. ; 

 length of flipper, i ft. 8 in. ; greatest breadth of flipper, 6 in. ; length 

 of humerus, 5^ in. 



This appears to be the only specimen of Mesoplodon bidens 

 recorded from the Moray Firth since Sowerby's type, Physeter bidens, 

 was cast ashore ninety-six years ago, within sight of the spot where the 

 present specimen was found. WM. TAYLOR, Lhanbryde. 



Barred Warbler at Dhu Heartaeh Rock, Argyleshire. Mr. 

 William Davidson, principal keeper of the lighthouse on Uhu 

 Heartaeh Rock (off the Argyleshire coast, 15^ miles S.W. of lona), 

 kindly forwarded to us the remains of an immature specimen of the 

 Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria). This rare visitor was found dead 

 at the foot of the lantern on the morning of the Qth of September last, 

 and had been killed either early that morning or during the previous 

 night. The Barred Warbler has only once before been recorded for 

 Scotland, namely at Broadford, in Skye, on the i6th of August 

 1884. J. A. HARVIE-BROWN and WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



