84 TJ^c Irish Nahiralist. [April, 



them than we do of most other groups of Irish animals. In 

 most cases, it is quite impossible from the description obtain- 

 able, to decide which species was the one noticed. However, 

 it is certain that no less than fifteen different kinds have been 

 obser\'ed off the Irish coast. If those interested in zoology 

 would send me accurate descriptions, measurements, and, if 

 possible, a photograph whenever a specimen of whale is 

 stranded in^ their neighbourhood, several other species might 

 be added to the list I now give. 



Through the kindness of the Director of the British 

 Museum (Natural History), I have been allowed to reproduce 

 some of the figures from the British Museum Catalogue of 

 Mammalia (Part I., Cetacea, 1850), which will assist observ^ers 

 ver}^ materiall}" in distinguishing any of the whale tribe 

 stranded on the shore. One of the remaining figures is 

 modified after Van Beneden and Gervais, and another after 

 Bell. 



The following five species recorded from English and 

 •Scottish waters have not yet been identified on the Irish 

 coast: — Balcsnoptcra borcalis, Ziphiiis cavirostiis, Monodon 

 inonoc€7'Os, Ddphinaptcriis Iciicas, and G7'amp7is gjiseiis. 



L— WHALEBONE WHALES. 



FAIYIILY BALi^ENIDAE. 



Southern Right Whale — Balaena australis, Desm. 



(Plate 3, fig. I). 



It is almost certain that one of the species of Right Whale has occurred 

 off the Irish coast, but the question whether it was the Southern or the 

 Greenland Right Whale has still to be decided The probability seems 

 to be in favour of the former species, but the differences between the 

 two are not very striking, so that the illustration given (plate 3, fig. i, 

 Greenland Right Whale) will stand for both. These large w^hales may 

 be at once recognised from other Whalebone Whales by the absence of 

 the back fin, the smoothness of the throat and the very long and 

 valuable whalebone. 



Among the many Irish records of whales which might possibl}' refer 

 to this species, one mentioned by Thompson (XX., p 56) from the Bay 

 of Enver, Co. Donegal, seems to indicate a Right Whale on account of 

 the special reference to the value of the whalebone, which was com- 

 puted to be worth from ^^Soo to ;^900 The average size of these Whales 

 is from 50 to 60 feet long. 



