164 Mr. Macgillivray's Account of the Outer Hebrides. 



larger seals the skin and blubber alone are embarked, while those 

 of a smaller size are carried off entire. The island of Hasker, off 

 the west coast of North Uist, is alike famous as a resort of these 

 animals. The flesh is sometimes eaten by the natives, and the 

 skins form an excellent covering for trunks. 



In these remote islands individuals of enormous size are said to 

 occur, so that there may possibly be two or more species ; but those 

 individuals which have come under my own observation, I could 

 only refer to the common species, notwithstanding the great diffe- 

 rences in colour and size which they exhibited. 



There now remain the cetaceous mammifera, of which little can 

 be said with certainty, although many species are of very common 

 occurrence. 



10. The Porpoise,' — Delphinus Phoccena, — named in Gaelic 

 Puthag, or the blower, on account of the mode in which it respires, 

 is not uncommon, but is seldom obtained, a few individuals only 

 being now and then cast ashore after a storm. 



11. The Grampus, — Delphinus Orca, Linn.- — named, like other 

 cetaceous animals, in Gaelic Muc Mhara, or sea hog, occurs in 

 the sounds at all seasons, sometimes in droves of many hundreds ; 

 but its appearance is very irregular, and not of frequent occurrence. 

 When grampuses appear on the coast, the inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bourhood assemble and pursue them in boats. No harpoons are 

 taken, the only weapons used in the pursuit being small pebbles. 

 The herd being partially surrounded, the grampuses, instead of 

 facing their puny antagonists, betake themselves to flight, and are 

 easily driven in whatever direction is deemed expedient, by means, 

 of a little manoeuvring, and the occasional disposal of a few pebbles. 

 Their destination is always a shallow beach, where, owing to the 

 size of their heads, they stick fast, and splashing about the water 

 with their tails, quickly render it turbid, by which those in the 

 rear are unable to perceive the nature of their position, and gene- 

 rally run ashore. A few may escape, but the whole herd general- 

 ly sticks. The men now leave the boats, and assisted by others on 

 shore, stab and cut at the animals until the sea is red with blood. 

 Prizes of this kind, however, are seldom obtained. Many hun- 

 dreds have been secured in this manner. The largest are about 40 

 feet long, and the smallest 12. The ordinary size, however, is 

 about 25 feet. The quantity of oil which they yield is from one 

 barrel to five or six ; seldom, however, more than four. 



In case I should be mistaken as to the species, it may be weU to 

 add a few particulars derived from my note-book. The head is, 

 very round ; the teeth about eighteen in each jaw, short and blunt. 

 There are two pectoral fins, and one dorsal, which is curved back- 

 wards. The blow-hole is semilunar. The upper parts and sides 

 are glossy black, the belly grayish, the skin smooth and shining. 

 These imperfect notes I took from one of a drove of fifty that had 

 been driven ashore at East Tarbert in Harris, in the beginning of 

 July 1818. 



