64 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE ISLE OF MANi 



Sperm- Whale, but a species of Firmer called the Korqual 

 Whale, and known to our fishermen as the Great Herring-Hog. 

 It measured, from snout to tail, 30 ft. 1 in. ; span of tail, 14 ft. 

 6 in. ; dark coloured on the back, somewhat like the colour of a 

 Kock-Conger, and white all over the belly; it was beautifully 

 fluted on the belly from the gills to within 14 ft. of the extremity 

 of the tail, and from there to the end of the tail quite smooth ; 

 its weight was over six tons, and on being dissected it was found 

 to have a young one in its womb ; its stomach was found to con- 

 tain more than a cartload of Thysanopoda, or fringe-foot (a little 

 crustacean very similar to, but rather smaller than, a shrimp), as 

 well as a quantity of herrings. It was harpooned by William 

 Lumsden, Esq., and after we had been in the tow of the fish for 

 eleven hours, sometimes going at enormous speed through the 

 water, during which we must have travelled backwards and for- 

 wards more than one hundred miles, it died, and we succeeded 

 in bringing it into Peel. The jaw-bones, which were very large, 

 have been preserved, and are, I believe, still in the possession of 

 Mr. Lumsden, Glenaspet, Patrick." 



The late Mr. Lumsden had been on more than one whaling 

 expedition, and no doubt would recognise the species, but the 

 reference to the curious " fluted appearance " would alone suffice 

 to identify this as a small Korqual, Balanoptera hoops, Flem. 



Keptiles. 



There are only two indigenous reptiles, namely, the two 

 species of lizard : — 'Jolgan-leaghyr ' — Zootica vivipera, Wagl., 

 viviparous lizard, plentiful throughout the island; and Lacerta 

 agilis, Linn., sand lizard, more common in the north. A local 

 name is " Man-creeper," and these pretty and harmless creatures 

 are too often sacrificed to a foolish superstition. The lizard is 

 one of the Cadlaghyn, or Sleepers (see above under "Bat"). I 

 have known it dug out of a hedge in a torpid state, in early 

 spring. 



Prof. Edward Forbes, in his sketch of our Natural History 

 contributed to Quiggin's 'Illustrated Guide,' adds: — " Triton 

 palustris, Warty Eft, and Triton punctatus, Common Eft, are by 

 no means rare in their different habitats everywhere." I can 

 only say that I have looked in vain for these, but have never 

 even heard of them, and think the mention of them must be due 



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