1868.] OF THE GREENLAND SEAS. 55.5 



Whale which is not a "Right Whale," "finner," "parmacity" 

 (spermaceti), " purpess," " unicorn" (Narwhal), or " White Whale" 

 is with them included under the vague term of " Bottle-nose." The 

 common and most characteristic name for this Whale is that used in 

 the north of Scotland, viz. caaing or driving Whale — a term trans- 

 lated into deductor*. 



There seems little doubt that this is the Delphinus tursio of 

 Fabricius, as the Eskimo name Nesernak is applied to the present 

 animal. If so, Fabricius's name has the priority ; but as it has been 

 confounded with another species it is better to keep Lacepede's 

 most barbarous trivial name. Gray and other authors look upon 

 Fabricius's Nesernak as the type of a distinct species, and have 

 described it as Tursio truncaius. The Delphinus truncatus of 

 Montagu (Wernerian Society's Trans, vol. iii. t. 5. fig. 3) is a 

 totally different animal. Fabricius's description ("Frons rotunda, 

 dechvis s. sursum repanda, desinens rostro attenuatiore ; sic fronti 

 anatis mollissimse, non absimilis"), though seemingly contradictory of 

 the identity of tlie Globiocephalus svineval and Delphinus tursio of 

 O. Fabr., must in reality be received for no more than it is worth, 

 Cetological critics have received the descriptions of Fabricius as if 

 they were infallible or superior to those of any other author who has 

 succeeded him. We know that many of his descriptions of other 

 animals which are well known were erroneous, and that few of 

 those regarding which there could be no mistake were altogether 

 free from error ; therefore I cannot see why we should receive the 

 others otherwise than as approximately correct. Fabricius enjoved 

 during the few years he passed in Greenland no better opportunities 

 than any other naturalist in that country at the present day. Many 

 of the animals which he describes are very rarely killed or seen by 

 the natives ; and many of his descriptions bear on the face of them 

 the marks of having been derived from the natives' narration, and 

 not from actual specimens. Any one who has examined such unwieldy 

 animals as the Cetacea must know how difficult it is, even under 

 the most favourable circumstances, to arrive at anything like an 

 accurate idea of the animal the external appearance of which we 

 may be desirous of describing. Therefore, as the Greenlanders call 

 this animal Nesernak, as the description does not widely differ from 

 the appearance of the Caaing Whale, and as Montagu's Delphinus 

 truncatus, with which it has been supposed to be synonymous, has 

 never been found in Davis Strait, while the present species has, 

 we are warranted in concluding with Dr. Reiubardt that the syno- 

 nymy given under this species is correct. 



This Whale is not a regular visitor of Davis Strait or Baffin's 

 Bay, but is occasionally to be seen in droves in the summer time 

 along the whole coast of Danish Greenland. An excellent account 

 of this species is given by Turner M'Bain, derived from the exami- 



* It has no connexion with calling, as it has sometimea been translated even 

 in works written by Scotchmen. It is derived from the Scotch word caa, 

 signifying to drive, relating to their ordinary method of capture, viz. by driving 

 them ashore. 



