1900.] Patterson. — Notes on Irish Cdacea. 211 



Besides the above, I think Sibbald's Rorqual may also occur 

 here. I had remarked that I had never seen any of these 

 creatures either " broaching" clear of the v/ater or " peaking 

 the flukes," as the Sperm Whale does on going down ; but I 

 have noted, under date 22nd June, 1S95, having sailed over to 

 near Portpatrick, on returning, and when in about mid- 

 channel, "a large whale ' broached' clear of the water near 

 the boat." Unfortunately I did not see it in the air, but 

 heard the tremendous splash it made, and saw the effects of it 

 in spray and small waves on its returning to the water. 



In reply to my inquiries the boatman declared it was " three 

 times the length of the boat and about as big as her in the 

 body," which would have given it a length of some 102 feet 

 and a girth of nearly 30 ! But on my declaring these dimen- 

 sions, impossible he said, " Maybe it was not more than twice 

 the length of the boat," which would have made it 68 to 70 

 feet long, below which estimate he would not come ! My own 

 note adds, '' The splash I saw might have been 50 feet long, 

 possibly considerably more." 



I have no doubt that the Killer, Orca gladiator, sometimes 

 visits our waters. 



Under date 20th August, 1895, I have noted : — Saw a large 

 Rorqual several times, then two, and a Pilot Whale, and, 

 I believe, a Killer. I have occasionally had three large 

 Rorquals in view at once, and considered there were five or 

 six in the Bay at the time. These seemed to be about 30 to 

 40 feet long, and I have occasionally seen them fully 50 feet. 

 The Bottle-nosed Whales were estimated at 20 to 30 feet, and 

 the Pilot or Ca'ing Whales at 10 to 15 feet. Of late 3"ears the 

 Rorqual is seen here more frequently than the Bottle-nosed 

 species. 



An interesting note of a much rarer species is under date 

 8th December, 1895, w^hen " M}' nephew, Mr. Egmont Praeger, 

 told me of a strange Cetacean having been cast ashore just 

 beyond Rockport Quay"(z.^., between two and three miles 

 from here), on the Co. Down shore of the bay. Accompanied 

 by General Sir Henry Geary, K.C.B., and his son, I went to see 

 it the following day, and examined and measured the animal. 

 I found it to be a Bottle-nosed Dolphin, the Delphijius tursio 



