IS FAUNA OF NORTH WALES 



Island. The tall, sharply -pointed back fin situated in the middle 

 of the dorsal surface was unmistakable. There were lots of 

 Mackerel about at the time. Mr. J. A. Dockray found one in 

 1899 in the Dee estuary between Heswall and Thurstaston ; 

 it was about nine feet long and had been dead several days. 



39.— DOLPHIN. Delphinus ddpMs Linn. 

 Of rare and irregular occurrence. 



40.— BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN. Tursiops truncalus 

 (Mont.). 



Several occurrences in the west. 



41.— COMIMON RORQUAL. Balcenoj^tcra physalus 

 Liiin. 



Recorded once. 



Bell in British Quadrupeds, page 401, states that a young Roiqual 

 taken on the coast of Wales in 1846 was described by Dr. Gray 

 as Benedenia knoxii, but since determined to be of this species. 

 The skeleton is in the British Museum, and Flower's list of 

 Cetacea states that it was " towed into Liverpool," so that 

 the animal was probably taken off North Wales. 



42. — LESSER RORQUAL. Baloenoptera acutirostrata Lacep. 



Recorded once. 



The decomposed body of one twenty-eight feet long came 

 ashore near Aberystwyth, 22nd September, 1910. 



43.— SIBBxlLD'S RORQUAL. Balcenoptera sihbaMii. Gray. 



Recorded once. 



Li September, 1918, 1 noted in the shop of Mr. Da vies, fishmonger, 

 Barmouth, a single lumbar vertebra, which he informed me had 

 been cast up by the sea there. It measured thirteen inches 

 across the disc and nine inches along the upper process. From 

 its size it can only have belonged to this, the largest of all 

 existing animals. The species has not, I believe, been previously 

 met with in Welsh waters. 



