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CHAPTER XXV. 



SOME BRITISH WHALES. 



Recently a large " school " of Whales, number- 

 ing about four hundred, was seen disporting in 

 the Bay of Firth, a few miles from Kirkwall. 

 A number of fishermen hastily manned the 

 boats, and commenced hostile demonstrations 

 against the herd. Owing, however, to the 

 roughness of the sea and the darkness of the 

 night the luck of the fisher-folk was but small. 

 The Whales were of the Caing, or Bottle-nosed 

 species. It is twelve years since a herd visited 

 the same shores. 



This interesting occurrence serves to remind 

 us that the Whales of the British seas are much 

 more abundant than is generally supposed, not 

 only in number, but in variety of species. Our 

 knowledge concerning them is quite dispropor- 

 tionate to the importance of the subject, as from 



