NOTES AND QUERIES. 215 



This species is perhaps the most common of the Firmer Whales or 

 Eorquals, and has been frequently stranded and captured on the British 

 coast, especially in the north, and many skeletons are preserved in British 

 and continental museums. Its fully-grown length is from 65 to 70 ft., 

 and the two skeletons which are to be seen in the Natural History Museum 

 at South Kensington are about 68 ft. in length. To one of these are 

 attached the preserved dorsal fin and the tail-flukes. In conclusion, it may 

 be well to mention that the whale which was taken in the river Crouch, on 

 the opposite side, on Nov. 1st, 1883, was a specimen of Rudolphi's Rorqual, 

 Balanoptera borealis, and was about 29 feet in length. This was described 

 by Prof. Flower in the 'Transactions of the Essex Field Club' and the 

 ■ Proc. Zool. Soc.', and the skeleton now abides in the Museum at Sydney, 

 New South Wales. — Walter Ceouch (Wanstead, Essex). 



Sibbald's Rorqual on the Irish Coast.— A well-grown specimen of 

 this whale was taken in Wexford Bay on the 28th March last, and the 

 following particulars have been kindly sent to me by Mr. Jasper Walsh, 

 Lloyd's agent at Wexford, who obtained the information at my request, 

 and says that, so far as it goes, it may be relied on. A photograph which 

 he sent, showing the whale half in the water, was too small to be of any 

 use in identification. It was probably a female, the upper parts black, and 

 the lower slate-colour, and the extreme length 82 ft. The measurement 

 from the eye to end of lower jaw, 16£ ft. ; length of pectoral fin, 10£ ft. by 

 2 ft. 7 in. greatest breadth ; tail flukes, 8? ft. each : the dorsal fin extremely 

 small, about 28 in. at base and 11 in. in height : the baleen black, about 

 2 ft. in length clear of the fringe. Prof. Flower informs me he has seen a 

 portion of the baleen, and there is no doubt as to the species. The carcase 

 was seized and sold by the Receiver of Customs, and was knocked down to 

 Mr. W. Armstrong, of Wexford, for £111. — Walter Crouch (Wanstead, 

 Essex). 



BIRDS. 



Dartford Warbler in Winter. — Can any of your correspondents give 

 me any information about the Dartford Warbler after this severe winter? 

 I am afraid that this rare and delicate species must have suffered severely. 

 In spite of the severe weather, on March 24th I found a Song Thrush's 

 nest with young ones, evidently hatched nearly a week. In the hard winters 

 of 1879 and 1880 the Golden-crested Wrens, previously very numerous 

 here, were almost exterminated. Since then they have been increasing 

 again, and, I am glad to say, seem to have stood this winter fairly well. 

 As there are several about still, I hope the Dartford Warblers may have 

 escaped as well. — W. B. Purefoy (Greenfields, Tipperary). 



[We hear from Dorsetshire that, in a locality where the Dartford 

 Warbler used to be found, not one has been seen since the severe frost of 



