SOWERBY'S WHALE 



" But the most remarkable feature was the presence of a number of 

 curiously shaped marks sparsely distributed over the body, but most con- 

 spicuous on the side and ventral surface. These spots were most irregular 

 in size and figure, others mere blotches, others again having the appearance 

 of splashes or smears varying in size up to that of a man's hand." 



The first example of Sowerby's Whale known to naturalists, which was 

 described by Sowerby, was obtained on the shores of the Moray Firth near 

 Nairn in 1800. 



Since that date others have come ashore from time to time, mostly 

 in Scotland, and the latest I know of is one obtained on the Lincolnshire 

 coast mentioned in Sir Sidney Harmer's Report on Cetacea Stranded on the 

 British Coasts during 19 16. 



The knowledge of the distribution of Sowerby's Whale is meagre. It 

 has been taken on the coasts of Scandinavia, whence it ranges as far as 

 Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific. 



TRUE'S BEAKED WHALE. 

 Mesoplodon mirus. 

 An example of this very rare beaked whale — first described by the 

 late W. F. True in 1913 (True, 1913, Proc. U.S. O^t. Mus.., xlv. pi. 51), 

 from a specimen taken at Beaufort Harbour, North Carolina — was obtained 

 at Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland, on June 9th, 19 17. Another is 

 said to have been stranded in Gal way Bay about 1899. 



This species appears to be closely related to Sowerby's Whale, but 

 the characteristic pair of teeth in True's Beaked Whale are placed at 

 the point of the lower jaw as in Cuvier's Whale. 



I am indebted to Mr. W. P. Pycraft for the above mentioned particulars. 



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