NATURAL BISTORT SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. G7 



The only previous records bearing upon the subject with which 

 I am acquainted, so far as Scotland is concerned, are not very 

 satisfactory or precise, and although doubtless they may refer to true 

 Balaena it is quite as possible that some other whalebone Whale 

 may have given rise to the reports. Sibbald records the occurrence 

 of what he considers was probably a Right Whale at Peterhead, in 

 1682, and Low in the "Fauna Orcadensis" states that "there have 

 been several instances of late years [he died in 1795] of their driving 

 ashore on our coast ;" but in neither instance does the author speak 

 from personal observation, and the records are so vague and unsup- 

 ported, that although of course they may have been examples of B. 

 Iriscayensis, I still think Mr. Alston was justified in his remark, 

 [Fauna of Scot., Mammals, p. 17] that there was at the time he 

 wrote "no authentic evidence of the occurrence of any Right Whale 

 on our coasts in modern times," although such an occurrence from 

 what has since transpired would seem to be less improbable than 

 was supposed. 



" Such, therefore, being the state of our knowledge with regard to 

 this species in Scottish waters (and in other parts of the kingdom 

 it was not more satisfactory) it was with no little pleasure I re- 

 ceived a letter dated 25th Xov., 1880, from Capt. David Gray of 

 Peterhead, in which he says, " There is not the shadow of a doubt 

 that about the year named in your article [referring to an article on 

 the Greenland Whale which he had been good enough to read for 

 me] two Greenland Whales, an old cow and calf, appeared in the 

 South bay of Peterhead; several boats were sent in chase; they 

 could not, however, get a chance to strike the old whale, but they 

 harpooned the calf." I lost no time in begging Capt. Gray to obtain 

 for me every particular in his power as to the interesting occurrence, 

 and he very kindly took great pains to establish the fact beyond 

 doubt, and I think with perfect success. 



Capt. Gray was good enough to obtain for me the independent 

 testimony of two old men, James Webster and John Allan, both of 

 whom are still living at Peterhead, and were witnesses of the events 

 which they relate. The two statements coincide so remarkably, 

 making allowance for the lapse of years, that it is only necessary 

 to give one. "James Webster, 85 years of age, remembers 

 Greenland Whales coming into South Bay of Peterhead ; at 

 that time he would have been about 10 years of age [Jno. Allan 

 says "it was in 1806 or 1807, same year as the new parish church 



