KILLED IN THE FHITH OF FOKTH. 379 



They are, however, very rapid in their motions, 

 " darting along with the velocity of an arrow." 



These animals may occasionally stray to the 

 southward in pursuit of fish, or be impelled far in 

 that direction by long-continued north easterly 

 winds. When they happen to get entangled 

 among the drift-ice, if the wind prevail in one di 

 rection for several days, a straggler may be led so 

 very far from his haunts as to be unable to rejoin 

 his party. Several healed wounds, the scars of 

 which were quite distinguishable, indicated that 

 this individual had probably been struggling among 

 drift-ice. In some places, the cuticle and rete mu- 

 cosum remained in a divided state, while the true 

 skin had healed. 



It may be remarked, that Mr Pennant intimites 

 a suspicion that the beluga occasionally visits our 

 seas ; and he was right. Colonel Imrie of this So- 

 ciety informs me, that in August 1793, he saw two 

 young belugas which had been cast upon the beach 

 of the Pentland Firth, some miles to the east of 

 Thurso. The length of the one, from the front of 

 the forehead to the tip of the tail, was seven feet ; 

 and of the other, seven feet and a half. They were 

 both males. " The principal colour of their skin," 

 (I quote the words of the Colonel's description ta- 

 ken on the spot at the time,) " was white, but that 

 was mottled with a brownish-grey colour." It will 

 be observed, that Fabricius, Crantz, Giesecke', and 

 ethers, who have seen the young animals, describe 



