SEALS AND WHALES OF THE BRITLSH SEAS. 105 



Cuvier established the genus ZipJiius in 1825, from a fossil skull found on 

 the coast of Provence in 1804, which he believed at the time to belong to an 

 extinct animal. 



SOWERBY S WHALE. 



One more British Ziphioid is known, Sowerby's Whale {Mesoplodon 

 sowerbieusis, De Blainville) ; it was first described from a specimen which 

 came ashore at Brodie, Elginshire, in 1800, and has since been found three 

 times in Ireland ; there is also a skull in the Museum of Science and Art at 

 Edinburgh, which belonged to a specimen believed to have been captured 

 somewhere on the Scotch coast ; the remains of five others are preserved in 

 various Continental museums. 



Of the individual which came on shore on the coast of Kerry, in March, 

 1864, Mr. Andrews has given a description in the *' Transactions of the Royal 

 Irish Academy," for April, 1867. Fortunately, it came under the notice of 

 Dr. Busteed, of Castle Gregory, who being interested in zoology, and aware 

 of the great importance of the occurrence, photographed the head in several 

 positions while it was yet fresh : Dr. Busteed's photographs were reproduced 

 in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. The head had unfortu- 

 nately been removed immediately behind the frontal portion of the skull, the 

 base of which is lost, as are also the other parts of the skeleton. The total 

 length of the animal was about fifteen feet, the two teeth largely developed 

 and projecting like the tusks of a boar. On the under part of the throat 

 the V-shaped furrow was very conspicuous. Sowerby's specimen was coloured 

 black above, and nearly white below. The skin was smooth like satin. " Im- 

 mediately under the cuticle the sides were completely covered with white 

 vermicular streaks in every direction, which at a little distance appeared like 

 irregular cuts with a sharp instrument." 



