6368 Birds. 



front edge of the dorsal fin 14 ft. 5 in. ; from the hind edge of the fin to the posterior 

 edge of the tail 8 ft. 7 in. ; base of the fin I ft. 8 in. ; the length or height of dorsal 

 fin 1 ft. 10 in.; tail across 6 ft. 11 in. The horns of the crescent-shaped spiracle were 

 turned forwards. No teeth were visible in the mouth until the flesh was cleaned off, 

 when two were found in the lower jaw, at the end, measuring about an inch long. 

 The colour of the animal was a dark bluish slate on the back, inclining to brownish on 

 the sides. On the belly and a little distance up the side, in the region beneath the dor- 

 sal fin, it was mottled with white. On Wednesday night, the 3rd inst, whilst Smith, 

 a Trinity pilot, was entering the Wash with his smack, he saw a fine young specimen 

 of the great northern Rorqual (Rorqualis borealis) stranded upon the " Wainfleet Sand." 

 He went on shore and dispatched the creature with a boat-hook. When it floated the 

 next tide he brought it to Lynn. I was only enabled to make, satisfactorily, the fol- 

 lowing admeasurements: length 32 ft. 4 in.; pectoral fin 4 ft.; across the tail 8 ft. — 

 Edward L. King ; King's Lynn, Norfolk, November 17, 1858. 



Notes on the Birds of Jamaica. By W. Osburn, Esq. 

 (Communicated by P. H. Gosse, Esq.) 



Sandhurst, Torquay, 



January 3, 1859. 

 My dear Sir, 



The following letter, which I have just received, contains 

 such graphic pictures of Jamaicau Ornithology, that I have thought 

 the readers of the 'Zoologist' would be scarcely less interested than 

 myself in its perusal. 



I am, my dear Sir, 



Yours very truly, 



P. H. Gosse. 

 To Edward Newman, Esq., 

 F.L.S., &c, &c. 



" Mahogany Hall, Jamaica, 

 December 4, 1858. 

 " Dear Sir, 



" The only reason I can offer for the liberty I take in addressing 

 you, as a perfect stranger, is your delightful book on the Ornithology 

 of Jamaica, which has afforded me so much instruction and valuable 

 information since my residence here, for the last twelve months. 

 I have during that time been forming a collection of bird-skins, and 

 given much of my time to the investigation of their habits. My list 

 still falls very considerably short of yours ; but, as I have collected, 

 and am still collecting, in some localities which I gather you did not 

 visit, you may perhaps like to have some of the results of my observa- 



