MAMMALIA 49 



Morecambe Bay, others to the English part of the Sol way Firth; 

 but in no case does the identity of the animal appear to have 

 been decided by an expert. When taken alive, the unfortunate 

 animal has invariably been destroyed by its captors. Thus, in 

 September 1828, 'two living porpoises' were stranded near 

 Allonby. ' They were first discovered by a boy, who promptly 

 gave information, when a number of carpenters and others rushed 

 to the spot, and, after a furious set-to with axes, pitchforks, etc., 

 by which the defenceless animals were dreadfully mangled, suc- 

 ceeded in capturing them; one measured 20 feet in length, the 

 other 18 feet.' 1 



The only recent occurrence that I can positively vouch for 

 was stranded near Skinburness in July 1876. It was examined 

 by Mr. Nicol, who remembers it well, and assures me that it 

 measured about 16 feet in length. Another friend extracted a 

 tooth from the same animal. This I showed to Professor 

 Flower, F.R.S., who kindly satisfied me that it had belonged to 

 an adult specimen of Orca gladiator. This is all the more inter- 

 esting, because Dr. Heysham had recorded the species from 

 Cumberland in the following words : * The Grampus is very 

 rarely met with on the Cumberland coast. One was thrown 

 upon the shore, in the district of Abbey-Holme, about twenty 

 years ago,' i.e. just a hundred years before the Skinburness 

 specimen, and on the confines of the adjoining parish — a curious 

 coincidence. 



PORPOISE. 



Phocama communis, F. Cuv. 



The Porpoise is often mentioned in Lord William Howard's 

 accounts, but whether the animals of this species served up at 

 his table belonged properly to the North Sea, or to the Irish 

 Channel, is not easy to say. Schools of Porpoises are often seen 

 off Whitehaven; to watch their aquatic sports from the cliffs 

 at Sand with is enjoyable on a fine day. Stragglers are occa- 

 sionally killed in Morecambe Bay and in the waters of the 

 English Solway. Such remains as I have seen washed ashore 



1 Carlisle Patriot, Sept. 12, 1828. 

 D 



