272 Lloyd's natural history. 



April, 1S80, while another was caught off the Scilly Islands in 

 May, 1887. The latter specimen was a young female measvr- 

 ing 12^ feet in length; and it will be found described by 

 Mr. Balkwill in the " Report " of the Plymouth Institute for 

 1888. 



As regards Scotland, Sir William Turner has published in 

 the "Proceedings" of the Royal Society of Edinburgh a com- 

 plete list of all recorded instances of this species ; from which it 

 appears that between the years 1808 and 1888 a total of 

 eighteen specimens visited the Scottish coasts. Of these, one 

 was taken in Orkney in November 1808; a second in the 

 Firth of Forth in May, 1832, and a third in February, 1834. In 

 September, 1857, a small male was captured off the Bell Rock ; 

 another specimen was taken in 1858 in the Firth of Forth, and 

 the sixth in 1869 on the coast of Islay. July, 1869, saw the 

 capture of a small example at Arbroath; while in 1870 one 

 was taken at Aberdeen, another at Hilswick, in Shetland, and 

 a third in the Firth of Forth. Dunbar was the scene of cap- 

 ture of a full-grown specimen in 187 1 ; while in the following 

 year examples were secured at Anstruther and Stornaway. No 

 other specimen was observed till 1877, when a half-grown 

 female was caught at Bervie. Two examples were taken in 

 1879, namely, one in the Firth of Forth during July, and a 

 second four months later in Stromness, Orkney. The year 

 1888 was likewise one in which two of these Whales were 

 taken, both in the Firth of Forth ; and one of which formed 

 the subject of a memoir by the celebrated anatomist whose 

 name is mentioned above. 



Ha'bits. — The Lesser Rorqual is a species generally found 

 solitary, more than two or three being seldom seen in com- 

 pany. A large number of females, which seek the neighbour- 

 hood of the coasts for the purpose of bringing forth their 



