ACCOUNT OF A FIN-WHALE * 2I3 



minute, and agrees, upon the whole, remarkably 

 well with the characters of the Alloa whale. He 

 makes no mention of any tuberosities in front of 

 the blowholes, which he could not have over- 

 looked, and which, as already observed, are cha- 

 racteristic of the jubarte, the only species with 

 which the Pike-headed whale could well be con- 

 founded. He is clearly of opinion, that his 

 whale is of the same species with that described 

 by Sir Robert Sibbald, above mentioned ; and he 

 seems to think that it was unknown to Linnaeus ; 

 for he adds, that he believes no other naturalist 

 has ever described it. The MS. is dated in 1782, 

 when the latest writings of Linnaeus must have 

 been familiar to Br Walker. 



With diffidence, I presume to state, therefore, 

 that the Baleinoptera acuto-rostrata has occurred 

 three times in the Frith of Forth. Two of the 

 specimens, it has been seen, were forty-six feet 

 long ; and the third, forty-three. The circum- 

 stance of their all being so nearly of the same 

 size, may perhaps afford some presumption, that 

 they were full grown animals. It shews, at least, 

 that La Cepede errs in restricting the size of 

 this species below thirty feet. , 



In concluding, I must, however, observe, that 

 there still appears to be a good deal of uncertain- 

 ty and indistinctness in authors, concerning the 

 species of fmners or piked whales. These ani- 

 mals, therefore, deserve the particular attention 

 6f gentlemen who have opportunities of visiting 



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