RISSO'S GRAMPUS IN THE SOLWAY FIRTH 3 



in measurement — 1^ inch. All of the six teeth had their 

 summits bent inwards, had apparently been tolerably sharp 

 at one time, but had become much worn and chipped. It 

 may be worth pointing out that the dentition of this animal 

 might be variously described as § ^ or 4 ^ or as ^ ^ accord- 

 ing to the inclination of the observer. 



Not trusting my own identification of this Cetacean as 

 Risso's Grampus, I forwarded the jaw, after it had been 

 cleaned, to Mr. Eagle Clarke, who promptly informed me 

 that he had " compared it with the perfect remains of 

 Grampus griseus in the Anatomical Museum of the 

 University of Edinburgh, under Sir Wm. Turner's charge. 

 The jaw belongs, undoubtedly, to a young specimen of that 

 species." Before leaving this Annan specimen, it should be 

 added that the oldest and most experienced of the Annan 

 fishermen declared that none of them had ever seen a " whale " 

 of the same kind in the Solway before. 



On Monday, 17th October, I was told that a "small 

 whale " had been killed on the previous Saturday evening 

 at Carsethorn, a little fishing hamlet about fourteen miles 

 from Dumfries, but situated in the adjoining county, on the 

 shores of the Stewartry Solway, a little to the westwards of 

 the mouth of the Nith. Following on the recent occurrence 

 of the rarity at Annan, my interest in Cetaceans was now 

 thoroughly aroused, and within a few hours after the notice 

 reached me I was at Carsethorn. I had no anticipation 

 whatever that I was so soon to hear of another example 

 of the same species, and it was therefore with the most 

 pleasurable feelings that, after walking down the beach 

 from our gig, the friend who accompanied me and I saw, 

 when the old sail had been lifted off the animal we had 

 come to see, that we had before us another veritable Risso's 

 Grampus. This one had been caught at the mouth of the 

 Kirkbean Pow, at a little distance above Carsethorn village. 

 It had been seen stranded in the shallow water when the 

 tide receded, and was captured by Mr. Robert M'Call, 

 fisherman, with the assistance of the villagers. One man 

 who was present described it as grunting very loudly, 

 another said it barked like a mastiff dog, and snapped 

 viciously at anything or anybody that came within its reach, 



