Professor Traill on some of the Cetacea. 179 



species stranded at once in the Orkney islands ; from which, the 

 drawings and descriptions published by me were originally de- 

 rived. 



In a letter, dated in 1807, Mr Watson thus writes : " On the 

 13th of December last, ninety-two whales of the Delphine ge- 

 nus were killed in the Bay of Scapay."" " They were of va- 

 rious sizes, from five to twenty feet in length ; the smallest were 

 destitute of teeth, and sucking their dams.'" 



Another individual, who was then also present, and is now 

 with me while I write, gives the following account of that ex- 

 traordinary scene : — '< When the whales were driven on shore 

 in Scapay Bay, the young ones continued to swarm round their 

 dams, until the receding tide left them also dry. During this 

 interval I observed some of them clinging to the teats of their 

 mothers. When separated the milk flowed from the teats in 

 great quantity. It was white ; and, as it flowed, of the consist- 

 ence of thin cow's milk ; but, on standing, it seemed to throw 

 up cream, or to become more rich in appearance. As I walked 

 round the animals, pools of milk were here and there distinctly 

 visible. The moans of the mothers were most piteous, especial- 

 ly when their young were removed. This induced one of my 

 servants to lift a small whale, and apply it to the mother's teat, 

 of which it immediately laid hold. I cannot recollect that I 

 saw it absolutely sucking ; but it grasped the teat with its tooth- 

 less mouth, and my impression was that it sucked." 



These facts were witnessed by hundreds of persons, among 

 whom I never met with one who thought differently on the lac- 

 tation of the Dclpliinus Deductor. 



Among Mr Watson's papers I have found several measure- 

 ments of this species, besides those already published by me. 



" The eye, 2 inches long, and fths broad, is placed about 

 18 inches from th6 point of the snout. 



" On the back of the head, and in a line with the eyes, was 

 placed the spout-hole, of a semilunar shape, 4J inches in length 

 by 2 broad. 



" Length of the animal" (from which the drawing was made) 

 «' 20 feet, and girth 11 J feet. Pectoral fins 5 J feet by 15 

 inches. Tail 5 J feet wide, by 2 feet deep. 



" Teeth conical, about 1 J inches long, bent a little inwards; 



M 2 



