Hyperoodon Butzkopf in Belfast Bay. 151 
‘Without loss of time a boat was manned by four or five of the 
Coast Guard armed with harpoon, cutlass, carbine and_ hatchet, 
resolved to make the stranger pay dearly for his visit. * * * 
After a good deal of manceuvring the men succeeded in bringing 
their boat alongside the enemy, and then commenced their as- 
sault upon him without mercy * * * and after a little show of 
opposition he attempted to make off, but his endeavours were 
fruitless. After receiving two or three shots, and a good many 
strokes with the harpoon, a grappling-iron was thrown over him 
and the boat was rowed shorewards amid the huzzas of the spec- 
tators, with the poor whale vanquished and weltering in his blood, 
which dyed the waters, and soon the retreating tide left him high 
and dry upon the beach. * * * It exhibited great tenacity of 
life, having survived six hours after being brought to land, though 
‘eut and hacked in an extreme degree. * * * On Wednesday 
and yesterday crowds of persons flocked from this town and 
other places to see it where it lies on the shore at Cultra.” 
I was absent from home at the time, but my friend Mr. James 
Bryce, F.G.S., ever active and energetic, hastened to the beach 
‘where the animal was lying, took the measurements of it in de- 
tail, and subsequently repeated them under more favourable cir- 
cumstances in the yard in the town of Belfast, to which the ani- 
mal was brought for exhibition, and where it attracted a large 
number of visitors for several days. Mr. Bryce had at this time 
careful drawings made of the Hyperoodon by his relative Mr. R. 
Young, which, together with his own notes, have been kindly 
placed in my hands. I happened to return home just in time to 
see the animal before it was cut up on the 8th of November. 
It isa male. Mr. Bryce’s description is as follows :— 
: ft. in. 
“ Length, measured in a straight line from snout to tail..,......... 20 4 
, measured along the dorsal curve  .sec.eoee see asveiaurens gas. eee 
IIE ooo isa ides (hccesGavcscestevessavtdcceacteseieueelecce 4 6 
NOME FENG AUS ra dca ht evvs cbebebects s5UCCcseee edosudes cdvess sie RR 6 
MIN ORO NOR Gis. iiss scdasudin eifehas iddied ase iedendbareveiidess ER 
Length of rostrum or snout ...esecesees pihag Ghd did «phe ASS KERS +A aeons 0 1 
BNE TOUS, ncaa: 5 sonhds -ancnannss<ocieacessaeenss + sho shesns ite ; 
Depth of each jaw at point  .......2sceeeees vanihoars copia chexssasaiy es’ 0.4 
I OEY CP OIDOE ooyicg icc ccesieacslileleycbistescdboscusdasiieceess a 
“Blow-hole from point of snout (following dorsal profile) ............ & 222 
, in length (slightly crescentic points directed towards 0 6 
the head: it and the eyes in the same vertical plane)......... \ 
POMPEI 101d TFOT PASC Of SNOUE —,..0s..0000seceseeeesénsspendecceoeds ce aie Gare i 
Watts, SPMCE HELWEEN CHEM 24.4,....,50-c0sessescocssesederdens ces eee 
——— fins in length, from base at upper side to point ........4... 2.2 
NN io ca chic seisine i sunns ee envnhsasdeatie plaieies ves Ri ae 
Dorsal fin distant from caudal fin, estimated from a straight line 
REPRE WMEE 10 CHIE aos. s s cececstshees ts anndoecesseeuackuales \ Rs 6h 
preereme, Tete OE Wise Po a : iiaaeee | 
fin in height (points backward) ........c.sssceseccsscoeseeeeeees ae 
