On Sowerhy^s Whale (Mesoplodon bidens). 53 



The " tibiella " in Schmidt's <j/pe-specimens in the British 

 Museum is not spined at the ends, nor is it in his descriptions 

 and illustrations ; but the ''fine, pointed ucerate " is micro- 

 spined in them, although not described nor illustrated bj him 

 as such. But according to mj observations generally, the 

 spination of the ends of the " tibiella " is not constant, 

 therefore of no specific value ; Avhile the microspination of the 

 " fine acerate " can be seen only where it is strongly developed, 

 and therefore, when otherwise is very likely to pass unnoticed. 



9. Tedania digitata^ var. verrucosa. 

 The same, but with the surface more generally convex and 

 less lobate ; the surface scattered over with small wart-like 

 processes, and the colour, when fresh, stated to be '' dull 

 orange^' and " Venetian red" in the two specimens respectively. 

 Besides being on a level with the surface, each little wart- 

 like process terminates in a single vent, so that the structure 

 is not like that described by Schmidt in his Tedania sactoria 

 (Atlantisch. Spongf. I. c). 



10. Forcepia colonensis, Carter (' Annals,' 1885, vol. xv. 

 p. 110, pi. iv. fig. 2). 



[To be continued.] 



VI. — On the Occurrence of Sowerhijs Whale (Mesoplodou 

 bidens) on the Yorkshire Coast. By Thomas SOUTHWELL, 

 F.Z.S., and William Eagle Clarke, F.L.S. 



On the 11th September last Prof. Turner communicated to 

 the British Association, then assembled at Aberdeen, a paper 

 on the anatomy of Sowerby's Whale, Mesoplodon bidens^ 

 Sowerby { = M. Sowerhiensis^ Blainville), the material for 

 which was mainly derived from the dissection of an individual 

 obtained on the 25th of the preceding month of May, in 

 Voxter Voe, on the north-east portion of the main island of 

 Shetland, which island had already become noted as having 

 yielded a previous specimen of this species as well as two 

 other Ziphioids. Seeing the interest which attaches to this 

 rare Cetacean we have great pleasure in being able to record 

 the occurrence of yet another individual of the same species, 

 the first, Ue believe, which has been met with on the English 

 coast ; but we regret to add that, owing to tlie ignorance of 

 its captors as to the value of their prize, the carcase was cast 

 adrift before the occurrence came to our knowledge, and was 

 thus irretrievably lost to science. This is the more to be 



