LESSER RORQUAL 103 



November following a small example was obtained near Alloa; 

 both, I understand, were secured by Sir William Turner. 



In the autumn of 1874, when on the North Sea, not far 

 from the mouth of the Forth, I observed a Whale rise to the 

 surface several times to " blow." It was probably an example 

 of this species. 



BEAKED WHALE. 



HYPEROODON ROSTRATUS (Chemnitz}. 



We now pass to the toothed Cetaceans, and the first 

 species falling to be noticed is the Beaked or Bottle-nosed 

 Whale, which appears to be an irregular but not very 

 uncommon visitor to our shores in autumn. The " Pro- 

 ceedings" of the Eoyal Physical Society for 1885-86 

 (vol. ix., pp. 25-47) contains a valuable paper by Sir William 

 Turner, F.K.S., on the occurrence of the species in the 

 Scottish seas, in which he gives particulars of the following 

 among other authenticated Scottish examples. It will be 

 observed that, with one exception, they are females, each 

 accompanied by a young calf. 



1. An adult female, 28 feet long, accompanied by a young 

 female 9 feet long, captured at Alloa on 29th October 1845, 

 and identified by the late Professor John Goodsir (see paper 

 by Wm. Thompson in the "Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History" for 1846, vol. xvii., p. 153, where it is mentioned 

 under Lacepede's name, H. Butzkopf), As pointed out 

 by Professor Turner, an erroneous date (1839), which 

 originated with the late Dr J. E. Gray, has been very 

 generally assigned to this specimen. Dr Gray (" Catalogue 

 of Seals and Whales," 1866, p. 339) also referred to it 

 as an example of his Hyperoodon (Lagenocetus) latifrons, 



