76 UNICORN NARWHAL. Class IV. 



communicated by Sir Joseph Banks to de la Ce~ 

 pede, who describes it (unnecessarily) as a di- 

 stinct species under the name of le Narwal 

 Microcephale, and ignorant of English geogra- 

 phy, has transferred the place of its discovery to 

 Boston in America. 



Another was found on the beach of the Sound of 

 Weesdale in Zetland in September 1 808, and has 

 been accurately described by the reverend John 

 Fleming in the Memoirs of the Wernerian So-' 

 ciety. It measured only twelve feet from the 

 snout to the notch which divides the tail j the 

 external length of the tooth was twenty-seven 

 inches, of the part inserted in the socket twelve 

 inches ; the head occupied a seventh part of the 

 total length of the body ; the forehead, on which 

 was a mass of fat like a cushion, rose suddenly 

 from the snout; on an elevated part above 

 were placed the spiracles or blow-holes, which 

 were separated in their passage through the 

 skull, but united before they reached the exter- 

 nal opening. The back swelled gradually to 

 within a few inches beyond the pectoral fins ; 

 on the belly was a ridge which extended from the 

 anus to the tail; on the back was a corresponding 

 ridge and two on the sides, which gave the pos- 

 terior part of the body a quadrangular appear- 

 ance. The mouth was rather pointed, the 



