1910.] AND niou)o^ OK Tin: lar(;ku cetacea. 773 



;iii(l iucludos ;ill tlie ];ii-<,'cst known s[)e(;ie.s of wliales with tlie 

 exception of ]j(daiiia 'iiitjstimlufi Linnaeus and liltachianecies glaucus 

 Oo[)e. Sevei'al .snudler Cetaceans ai'e seen ofi' the west coast of 

 Irela,nd, but they are not killed by the whalers. These inchide 

 Balcnopterfi roatrata (iii'ay. and some nieirdjex'S of the subfamily 

 Ziphiinai and the family Delphinida'. 



The si)ecimens of Jialiciia hiscai/eiisifi (tv.iy, killed last, summer, 

 were taken during the first fortnight of June. This species is 

 said by the whalers to leave our shores after the end of June. 

 Jialtenoptera inusculus Linnaeus was ecjually plentiful from the 

 beginning of May till the end of the season. Balceuoptera sihbaldii 

 (!ray was taken from the end of June till September. The 

 (;a.ptui'es of BaUcnoptera horecdis Lesson, were i-estricted to the 

 last half of M^ay and the first half of June, the last s[)ecimen 

 being caught ten days before the tirst B. sibbaldii (Jlray was 

 tiiken. This wliale is said to leave oiu' shores upon the arrival 

 (if li. sihhcddii. The Sj)erm Whales {^P]ii/seter iii.acr(>ceph(diin 

 liinna'us) were captured between the n)iddle of June and the 

 end of July. If detailed records of the captures of whales 

 continue to be kept for the Irish stations * to compare with those 

 ])ublished by Mr. Haldane for the Scotch stations, we may hope, 

 by this means, to tlirow some light upon the migrations of these 

 creatures. 



During my stay at Innishkea, the following whales were 

 captured: 21 specimens of Bcdinnoptera mwsc'uho.s Linnteus, 15 (A' 

 which were examined; 20 individuals of J*, sihhaldii Gray, 15 

 of which were examined ; and two male iSj)ei'm Whales {Physetcr 

 Diacroccphahifi Linmeus), both of which were examined. The 

 results o})tained from the examination of these whales will now be 

 (lescrilied. 



III. The Occurrence ok Hairs tx Wjiales. 



The distribution and significance of the scanty hairs of tlie 

 Cetacea do not appear to ha,ve been hitherto studied in the detail 

 they deserve. They have been vaguely referred to as occurring 

 (m the jaws of some adult forms f. Sometimes they have been 

 found on the f'etus only. 



In two adult Sperm Whales {I'hi/seter macrncejjhalus Linn;eus) 

 seen at Innishkea, no trace of hairs v.o\\\(\ be found on any part of 

 the animals even after careful searching. 



In the case, however, of the Rorquals Balo'/iioptera wmscidus 

 Linnteus, and B. sihbaldii Gray, some 15 indivifluals of each 

 species were examined, and it was found that a definite distri- 

 >)ution of hairs could be made out in each case. Four- rows of 

 stiaight, white, bristle-like hairs from half an inch to an inch in 

 length occur on the dorsal surface of the beak or facial region of 



* A second Irish station is expected to be opened fov the scflson 1910. 



f Knox, Pmc. Koy. Soc. Edinh. i. 1883- 4. Eschriclit & lieinhiirdt, " Om Nord- 

 liviilcn," Copeuhji^icii, 18fil. Collett, IVor. Zool. Soc. 188t>, p. 2o'). Ciiniiiiighaiii. 

 I'loc. Zoo). Soc. 187t';. p. H*n. Clark. I'roc Zool. Soc. 187t-i. p. f^^K. 



