COMMON WHALE. 07 



individual that Dr. M'Donnell alluded to. Portions of the skeleton were 

 preserved for a long time at Glenarm Castle. Mr. Templetbn, as I learn 

 from his journal, saw these in July, 1808, and was told that the animal 

 had whalebone in its jaws. He adds that " the one caught near Larne 

 was a young animal of the same species," alluding, it is presumed, to that 

 taken about the last-named year. 



Dr. J. D. MarsTiall was told at the island of Rathlin in 1834 that the 

 B. Mysticetus is occasionally seen in the channel between the island and 

 Batty Castle, though of late years very rarely. Part of the skeleton of 

 one was then to be seen on the shore of Church Bay in the island. 



Dr. Michael Ferrar recollects that about the year 1810, when he was a 

 boy, he was put into the mouth of a whale which was pulled up close to 

 the quay at Larne. 



Large whales are not very unfrequently still seen from the more north- 

 ern coast of Antrim, but of what species we are ignorant. During a 

 period of six weeks in the summer of 1837, one — or what was considered 

 to be the same individual — was frequently seen off Drumnasole, though 

 sometimes not appearing for a week. 



" Capture of a Whale. — On Friday sen., while the crew of one of the Dub- 

 lin trawlers were fishing off Dunniore, Co. Waterford, they captured a whale 

 measuring 36 feet m length and 1- feet in thickness." — N. Whiff. Aug. 24, 1844. 



The i?. imjsticetus visits the coasts of Great Britain much less frequently 

 than formerly. 



The following paragraphs, respecting the occurrence of whales on the 

 coast of Ireland, are taken from the periodical press. 



"Whales on the South-West Coast of Ireland. — Within the last six 

 years, several whales have been seen on the Southern and Western parts of 

 this and the County of Kerry, one of which ran on shore near Glandore, and an- 

 other, found floating at sea, was towed into Crookhaven by a hooker, both pro- 

 ducing an average quantity of oil. Whales have visited the coast during the 

 summer months, and been frequently seen. On the 29th of last month live of 

 them were observed at one time sporting within the circumference of four miles 

 of the revenue cutter Badffcr, Avhen off the Skelligs Rocks. {Cork Constitution.) " 

 —N. Whiff, May 11, 1850. 



" A Whale in the Bay of Galway. — For the last few months a whale has 

 been disporting his bulky proportions in our bay, to the great destruction of 

 its finny inhabitants, and the siu'prise and terror of our fishermen, who look 

 upon their strange visitor as something supernatural. It is probable that this 

 monster came to our shores in pursuit of herring shoals, and in company with 

 the whale that was captured, some time ago, on the coast of Conneniara." — N. 

 Whiff, July 24, 1851, 



" Whales on the West Coast. — As a party of Sligo gentlemen were yacht- 

 ing in the early part of the week, in the bays of Sligo and Donegal, they met a 

 luunber of whales hi pursuit of herrings and their fry. They were of vast di- 

 mensions, and at one time no less than six appeared above water, one, at least 

 60 feet in length, being within 50 yards of the Ventura, the yacht which the 

 party were in. (Sliffo Journal.) " — Belfast Mercury, Sep. 27, 1851. 



" On Sunday sen., the carcase of a whale was hauled into Bantry harbour. It 

 is supposed it had been killed by a swordfish, as a wound, such as would be 

 made by one, was discovered in its belly. Its dimensions arc ninety-four feet 

 nine inches long, forty-two feet girt ; breadth of tail, twenty-four feet; length 

 of lower jaw, twelve; breadth between the eyes (one of whiclx is broken by a 

 wotmd), fifteen feet."— A^. Whiff, Dec. 23, 1851. 



"A Whale in Bangor Bay, Co. Down. — For more than ten days previous 

 to the late stormy weather, a large whale, of about fifty or sixty feel long, and of 

 proportionate breadth, has been cruising about in the [Belfast] lough, immediately 



