98 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



Cetacea. Delphinidae. 



(Odontoceti). 



17. PILOT WHALE. 



Globicephalus melas (Trail). Gaelic: — Muc-mhara,* Liumadairan. 



Mr. E. R. Alston writes to me: — "Their occurrence among the 

 Hebrides is rarer than at Shetland. More than 300 were taken in 

 1805, and 92 in 1832, at Stornoway. (Naturalists Library, xxyi., 

 pp. 214-215.) Nearly 200 were taken there in 1869." 



Mr. Macdonald was at the killing of 100 of these animals, some 

 years previous to 1870. They were, as usual, pressed in confusion 

 on to the shore of a small semicircular sandy bay, not far from his 

 house — Newton — on the Sound of Harris. 



Prof. Duns informs me also that he was present at the death of 

 a large herd of Caaing Whales, numbering in all 90, old and young, 

 and he had an opportunity of "cutting into" and examining them. 



Even as early as the days of Martin this species is mentioned, 

 the 50 "young whales" spoken of so quaintly belonging no doubt 

 toit.f 



18. PORPOISE. 



Phocaena communis (F. Cuv.) Gaelic: — Muc-mhara. Canna. 



Common in the seas surrounding the Long Island, but does not 

 so often approach close to land, nor is it induced to enter the sea 

 lochs so easily as the last species. 



Obs. Mr. James Wilson, during his " Voyage round Scotland," 

 saw whales "of the largest class" off the entrance of East Loch 

 Tarbet. Mr. Alston informs me that "these were probably 

 either Balaeiioptera musculus (Linn.), the Common Rorqual, or 

 B. sibbaldi (Gray), cf. Bell, 2nd ed. A specimen of the former, I am 

 informed by Prof. Turner, was brought into Stornoway in 1871. 

 B. rostrata (Fabr.) — Rudolph's Rorqual — has occurred off Islay. 

 Other species of Cetaceans doubtless occur, but I know of no 

 records." Large whales are often seen in the herring season off 

 the Sutherland coast, opposite Stornoway. 



* All whales in the Hebrides are called " Muc-mhara," but at the same 

 time several species are separately distinguished, thus: — Mucan biorach 

 (sharp-pointed), for Bottle-nosed Dolphhr; Liumadairan (the Jumping or 

 Leaping Whale), for the present species, or Herring Whale. 



t Martin, op. tit., pp. 5, 6. 



