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1HE ZOOLOGIST 



THIRD SERIES. 



Vol. XVIL] FEBRUARY, 1893. [No. J 94. 



OCCURRENCE OF SOWERBY'S WHALE (MESOPLODON 



BIDENS) ON THE NORFOLK COAST. 



By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S. 



On the 19th December, 1892, I received a telegram stating 

 that a strange fish was ashore at Overstrand, near Cromer, and 

 subsequently that it was some species of whale ; on the 20th, in 

 company with Mr. S. F. Harmer, of the Museum of Zoology and 

 Anatonvy, Cambridge, who happened to be staying in this neigh- 

 bourhood, I went to Overstrand, where we found an adult female 

 of the above rare species. 



Its history, we learned, was as follows : — At about 8 a.m. on 

 Sunday, the 18th December, one of the Overstrand fishermen 

 saw from the cliff an object lying in shallow water near the beach, 

 which he at first took to be a log of wood, but soon perceived to 

 be a large " fish." After obtaining assistance, he fastened a noose 

 over its tail and secured it by an anchor, till it was placed on a 

 trolley and drawn up the gangway to a shed on the cliff where we 

 saw it. The animal was alive when first observed, but died before 

 it was taken from the water. As placed, it was unfortunately in 

 such a position as to render photographing difficult, and our 

 attempts proved unsatisfactory. I believe no photograph was taken 

 after it had been removed from the shed. Before our arrival it had 

 been eviscerated, and a very advanced foetus was taken from it. 

 We made a very careful examination of the exterior, and hope to 

 publish a full description both of the old female and of the 

 young one in due course. 



ZOOLOGIST. FEB. 1893. E 



