observed on the coasts of Cornwall. 4^7 



fact which is explaiasd by the supposition that they are able to 

 increase the specific gravity of their bodies by means of an in- 

 herent muscular contraction : it is probable that this sinking of 

 the Whale is effected by a somewhat similar means. 



(Family Bal^nidvE.) 



Genus Bal^noptera. 



Rorqual. — B. musculus, Fleming's British Animals, p. 30; 

 BelPs British Quadrupeds, p. 520. B. Bo ops, Zoologist, vol. i. 

 p. 33; Gray's Catalogue of the British Museum, p. 32. 



Dr. Gray describes, under the name of Razor-back {Physalus 

 antiquorum), a whale that was brought into Plymouth by some 

 trawlers, in October 1831, and which by others has been de- 

 scribed as the species B. musculus. It " was found floating on 

 the sea in a decomposed state, and is said to have been 102 feet 

 long and 75 feet in circumference; but most likely the abdo- 

 minal cavity was distended by the internal decomposition.'' 

 These particulars, with others in the same volume, are so very 

 different from notes in my own possession concerning a whale 

 that was towed into Plymouth, about the same date, that they 

 would seem to refer to another capture and species, although I 

 have not heard of more than one of those enormous creatures 

 as being obtained at that time. The advertisement which drew 

 public attention to the skeleton of this whale, as it was exhibited 

 at Plymouth in December 1831, announces it as being 75 feet 

 in length ; and my own note, written at the time, is — " B. mus- 

 culus : a female specimen of this species was found dead, and 

 towed into Plymouth by some trawlers, Sept. 27th, 1831; its 

 length was 79 feet. Its gullet was found filled with a large 

 quantity of pilchards, by which it was supposed to have been 

 choked." This whale frequented our coast for a few years. It 

 was first noticed in February 1828, and was described by a 

 fisherman as about 60 feet in length, with a low fin far back on 

 the body, and blowing or spouting from the top of the head. 

 In February 1831, it approached very near the shore, and came 

 so close to our fishing-boats as to excite alarm. Three indivi- 

 duals, supposed to be of the same species, were in company, and 

 one of them was judged to be nearly 100 feet long. In August 

 and September, one of them, supposed to be the same that was 

 found afterwards dead, kept close to the land, and remained in 

 the neighbourhood of Lantivet Bay (near Fowey) for three weeks^ 

 feeding on the abundance of young Clupece (herrings or pilchards) 

 that were assembled there. 



This species seems to be not uncommon, and most usually 

 comes near us in the winter. There arc traditionary notices of 



