270 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



river at high water. The dock was observed to be filled with 

 a shoal of sprats, while the shrimps and eels were congregated 

 in large numbers ; and no doubt while in pursuit of these it 

 ventured too far up the river." Mr. Crouch adds that " it was 

 subsequently towed off by a tug, and, with the aid of the Dock 

 Company's derrick, was placed upon three trucks and taken 

 to the engineer's yard, where it was exhibited for a few days, 

 and whilst there was photographed (with its mouth open, 

 showing the baleen or whale-bone) by Mr. Robert Hider of 

 Gravesend." Finally, a sixth specimen of Rudolphi's Rorqual 

 was captured in the Medway on Aug. 30, 1888, of which an 

 account is given by Mr. Crouch on page 361 of the 

 " Rochester Naturalist " for that year. Mr. Crouch states 

 that this Whale, which was a female, was first seen swimming 

 quietly along; soon, however, it got aground, but "managed 

 to plunge into deeper water. Meanwhile Thomas Jewess of 

 Gillingham, who was fishing, approached as near as he dared 

 to try and cut off the retreat, and the animal, approaching too 

 near the shore, was driven into shallow water, and as the tide 

 ebbed, was left floundering on the mud. He then procured 

 assistance, and several shots were fired into the blowholes and 

 head, but the wounded creature only lashed up the mud more 

 vigorously with his tail, and, according to the statement of one 

 of the men, uttered sounds like the crying of a child. It was 

 at last killed by Mr. Thomas Cuckow with a large butcher's 

 knife. A rope was then inserted in the lower jaw, and as the 

 tide rose in the afternoon it was towed to a small landing stage 

 at the back of the White Horse Inn, where it was exhibited for 

 several days, and attracted hundreds of visitors, such a catch 

 having never before been recorded in the Medway." This 

 specimen was 32 ft. 2 in. in length. 



HalDits. — The diet of this species is very different from 

 that of the last, since, according to observations made by Dr. 



