8o THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



ed., p/417) that, in 1788, six were found dead on the Kentish 

 coast. A live one ran ashore in the Thames at the same time. 

 Dale {Hist, of Harwich, 2nd ed., 1732, p. 413) also mentions 

 one caught in the Thames, and brought ashore at Blackwall. 



An original manuscript letter from Walberswick, Suffolk, 

 dated 7th March, 1788, preserved in the British Museum 

 copy of the volume of the Philosophical Transactions for 

 1787, records the appearance of twelve Sperm Whales, after 

 a hard gale of northerly winds, in February, 1763. Two of 

 these were driven ashore, dead, on the coast of Essex the 

 writer does not say at what points. He, however, cut up 

 more than one out of the twelve, and gives the dimensions 

 of some of the animals. 



Sub-family ZIPHIIN.ffi. 



Genus HYPEROODON, Lacepede. 



Hyperoodon rostratus, Chemnitz. COMMON BEAKED WHALE. 



This Whale appears to come into British waters regularly 

 in the autumn, and specimens are killed almost every year 

 on some parts of the coasts of this island. John Hunter 

 records one captured in the Thames above London Bridge in 

 1783 (Bell's Brit. Quad., 2nd ed., p. 423). Another, no doubt 

 of this species, is figured in Dale's History of Harwich and 

 Dovercourt (p. 412), it having been captured in the Black- 

 water estuary. 



In July, 1891, two male specimens of this whale occurred 

 in the Thames (Essex Nat., vol. v., p. 170). One was near 

 the Nore lightship, and was towed into Leigh. The other 

 was found near the entrance to Barking Creek. Dr. Murie 

 identified the Leigh example and Mr. W. Crouch the one 

 near Barking (see Essex County Chronicle, Aug. I4th, 1891). 



This is the best-known species of the family of ziphioid 

 whales, which are distinguished by possessing one or two pairs 

 of teeth, situated in the lower jaw only. 



