278 Lloyd's natural history. 



thus common on our coasts, where specimens are captured 

 ahiiost annually, and at times entering our larger rivers, it would 

 be impossible, even if it were desirable, to give a list of its 

 occurrences ; but we may mention a few instances of speci- 

 mens which have been observed during the last few years. 



In 1886, Sir W. Turner, in the "Proceedings " of the Physical 

 Society of Edinburgh (vol. ix., p. 25), notices specimens cap- 

 tured on the coasts of Scotland. In 1888, Mr. Baily, in the 

 Naturalist^ p. 114, mentions one captured on March 13 of 

 that year at Flamborough. On Aug. 28, in the same year, 

 several Whales were stranded near Hunstanton, in Norfolk, 

 two of which were recognised by Mr. Southwell (Zoologist^ 

 1888, p. 387) as an old and a young female of this species. 

 Sir W. Turner, in vol. x. of the serial in which his earlier 

 notice appeared (p. 19), records one captured in 1S89 in the 

 Shetland Islands. During September, 187 1, a "school" of 

 these Whales were observed in the Channel, some of which 

 visited the coast of Nomandy, while a pair entered the 

 Thames, v/here ti:ey were killed, and their bodies were 

 examined by Dr. Murie. In the summer of the following 

 year the present writer had the good fortune to see a dead 

 Bottle-nose, which was carried by the tide into Weymouth 

 Bay. 



Habits. — In addition to their migrating habits, these Wiiales 

 are characterised by going in "schools," comprising from four 

 to ten individuals in each, several of such "schools" frequen'Jy 

 swimming within a short distance of one another. They feed 

 almost exclusively on Cuttle-fish, which they procure at great 

 depths. A specimen, of which the skeleton is now preserved 

 in the British Museum, is said, when killed, to have had more 

 than half a bushel of the indigestible heavy beaks of those 

 molluscs in its stomach. Since the skull of the male Bottle- 

 nose contains spermaceti, wl.ile the blubber yields a consider 



