THE ORDER CETACEA. 187 



ceed two feet in length, and is rounded at the extremity. 

 The pectoral fins are from six to eight feet in length, 

 narrow and tapering at their extremities. The head is 

 obtuse ; the upper jaw projects several inches over the 

 lower in a blunt process. It has a single spiracle. The 

 full grown have twenty-two subconoid teeth, a little 

 hooked. Among those stranded in Scalpay Bay were 

 many young ones, which, as well as some of the oldest, 

 wanted teeth. The youngest measured about five feet 

 in length, and were still sucklings. The females had 

 two teats, larger than those of a cow, out of which milk 

 flowed when they were squeezed. 



These animals frequently enter the bays around the 

 Shetland and Orkney coasts, in quest of small fish, 

 which seem to be their food. When one takes the 

 ground, the rest surround and endeavour to assist it : 

 from this circumstance several of them are generally 

 taken at once. Dr. Traill has frequently observed an 

 animal, which he conjectures to be of this species, ele- 

 vating its dorsal fin and a considerable part of its back 

 above the waves, with a slow tumbling motion, for many 

 successive times. They are inoffensive and rather 

 timid. They are chased on shore not unfrequently by 

 a few yawls, and seen to follow one as a leader with 

 blind confidence. Dr. Traill was once in a boat when 

 the attempt was made to drive a shoal of them ashore ; 

 but, when they had approached very near the land, the 

 foremost turned round with a sudden leap, and the 

 whole rushed past the crew, with considerable velocity, 

 but carefully avoided the boat. 



These animals are extremely fat, and yield a consider- 

 able quantity of good oil.* 



* Nicholson's Journal, vol, xxx. p. 82. 



