290 LLOYl/S NATURAL HISTORY. 



tribution, specimens from Australia presenting no points of 

 difference from British examples. To the Fareoe Islands, as 

 \vell as to Orkney, and, more rarely, to the Hebrides, the Pilot- 

 Whale is a frequent, although irregular, visitor during its 

 seasonal migrations from the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean. 

 In the southern parts of our coasts it is, however, of rare 

 occurrence, although it has been recorded as far south as ihe 

 Channel and Cornwall. 



Habits. The essential feature of the Pilot-Whale, Ca'ing 

 (that is, Driving) Whale, or Black-Fish, as it is vicariously called, 

 is the large "schools' 1 in which it associates, these frequently in- 

 cluding hundreds of individuals. It is likewise remarkable for 

 the persistence with which the other members of the school 

 will folbw the direction taken by their leader, even when this 

 leads directly into danger. Advantage of this habit is taken by 

 the hardy fishermen of the Faeroe Islands, who, immediately 

 a school is sighted, take to their boats and endeavour to get to 

 seaward of the animals. Should they successfully accomplish 

 this, it is generally an easy matter to drive the school into shal- 

 low water, where its members can be slaughtered at leisure. If, 

 however, the leading Whale manages to make his way to sea, 

 all the labour is in vain, as the other Whales will be almost 

 sure to make their way after him, despite the utmost efforts on 

 the part of the boatmen. Some fifty years ago the numbers of 

 these Whales taken during two seasons in the Faeroes a~d 

 Shetlands were to be reckoned by hundreds, if not by thousands, 

 although it is to be wished that the statements as to the exact 

 numbers were somewhat better authenticated than they appear 

 to be. 



THE GRAMPUSES. GENUS GRAMPUS. 

 Grampus^ Gray, Zool. Voy. Erebus and Terror, p. 30 (1846). 



Distinguished from all the olher genera of the Family by the 



