CETACEANS. 257 



Erdeswick, in his description of Chartley Park, Staffordshire, 

 speaks of the number of these animals contained therein. Again, 

 Leland tells us that at Blakeley, in Lancashire, "wild bores, bulls, 

 and falcons bredde in times paste," and that near by is a place 

 called Boars Green. 



In Scotland Boethius speaks of a huge Wild Boar killed on 

 land belonging to the See of St. Andrews ; while at an earlier 

 dale a Latin MS., giving the history of the Gordon family, 

 dated 1545, relates that in 1057 a Wild Boar had been slaugh- 

 tered by a member of that family in Huntly Forest. In the 

 Highlands there are many traditions referring to Wild Boars, 

 whose former abundance is likewise attested by the names of 

 many places ; and much the same may be stated in regard to 

 Ireland. 



THE CETACEANS. ORDER CETACEA. 



The V/hales, Dolphins, and their allies, collectively desig- 

 nated Cetaceans, are distinguished from all other Mammals by 

 their assumption of a remarkable fish-like form, the only other 

 members of the order approaching them in this respect being 

 the Sirenians, of which there are no British representatives, 

 and which present marked structural peculiarities of their 

 own. 



Fish-like in external appearance, with a spindle-shaped body, 

 into which the head passes without any indication of a neck. 

 Cetaceans have the front-limbs modified into simple ovoid 

 paddles, devoid of any trace of division into segments or toes, 

 while externally hind-limbs are completely wanting. Towards 

 the hinder extremity, the body gradually tapers, until it becomes 

 of very small diameter at the tail, which terminates in a hori- 

 zontally-placed, fibrous, fin-like expansion, termed the "flukes"; 

 this is deeply notched in the middle of its hinder border, 

 and has sharp lateral angles. Relatively large in size, the head 

 5 s 



