MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 279 



I could see pointed to any impact with the sharp 

 prow of a fishing boat. In places the skin was much 

 abraded, in all probability by its being toppled about 

 amongst sandbanks. Its length was 30 feet ; span 

 of tail-flukes 7J feet from point to point ; pectoral 

 flukes 4 feet in length. The smell was by no means 

 pleasant ; and after both interesting and disgusting 

 numerous visitors, the animal was hacked to pieces 

 and buried in the sand. 



The innovation of the steam drifter, and the 

 great numbers of herring fishers now at work, 

 must have the effect of driving away the cetaceans 

 and making them yearly scarcer in this neighbour- 

 hood. 



TOAD NOTES 



The list of east coast Reptilia and Amphibia is not 

 a large one, although comprising most of the very 

 small array of British species. Nor does the race 

 exhibit very marked traits of intelligence, so that an 

 incident worthy of note is of extremely exceptional 

 occurrence. 



A cream - coloured Common Toad discovered 

 in the neighbourhood in 1891 was incarcerated 

 in a large fern - case, thus at once removing it 



