OCCURRENCE OF THE COMMON RORQUAL 71 



CONVOLVULUS HAWK MOTH (Sp/rinx convolvuli). Two of these 

 fine insects were captured here this autumn. The first was got at 

 Thornhill railway station on 2gth August, the other at Troqueer 

 Mills on 5th September. 



PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES (Vanessa cardui}. These were 

 seen in many widely scattered localities during the last week in 

 September. They were bleached and battered, and were likely 



immigrants. 



WINTER MOTHS. Since October till the date of writing these 

 moths have been in great plenty. I have not seen them so abundant 

 in any former season. 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE COMMON 

 RORQUAL (BALsENOPTERA PHYSALUS, (L.)) 

 IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



By WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E. 

 PLATES II. and III. 



SHORTLY after daybreak on Friday, ipth February 1904, a 

 large whale was observed struggling in shallow water some 

 two hundred yards off the west end of Kirkcaldy, on the 

 north side of the Firth of Forth. It had evidently come 

 inshore during high water in the early hours of the morning, 

 and failing to make its way out of the bay in time, had been 

 left stranded by the ebbing tide. Two men, one of them 

 an old whaler, on hearing of the occurrence, at once went 

 out to the animal and succeeded in killing it, the weapon 

 used being an ordinary hedgebill. Notwithstanding the 

 terrible wounds inflicted on the helpless creature, between 

 two and three hours elapsed from the time it was attacked 

 till it finally ceased to move. The requisite tackle having 

 been procured, a strong rope was fastened round its tail, 

 and, with the flow of the tide, it was hauled up the beach to 

 high-water mark, where for a week it was an object of much 

 interest to large crowds of people. Having been claimed 

 by the Crown, the carcase was sold by public auction on 

 24th February for the small sum of 2, the purchaser being 

 a manure merchant in Dunfermline. 



