87 



CAPTURE OF A RUDOLPHFS RORQUAL 



(Balsenoptera borealis) AT GOOLE. 



By THOMAS BUNKER, 

 President of the Goole Scientific Society. 



On the evening of Friday, the 5th September, a large Cetacean 

 was noticed in the river Ouse by several persons, including the crew 

 of a steam tug, who were alarmed by it coming to the surface under 

 one of the paddle-boxes. Some time after high-water it was seen at 

 the entrance of the Barge Lock, apparently endeavouring to escape 

 from the muddy water of the river. The gates were speedily opened, 

 the animal actually butting at them ; as soon as it was inside the 

 gates were again closed, and it was fairly trapped. A crowd soon 

 collected, and a very exciting scene took place. As often as the 

 poor animal rose to blow, boat-hooks and other weapons were freely 

 used. Its struggles were fearful to witness ; it sometimes raised 

 itself almost on end, its head being ten feet out of water. When 

 dead it was brought to the surface, and lashed to an empty compart- 

 ment-boat ; and the next day lifted out of water by a large crane, 

 weighed, a.nd measured. The weight was nearly 9^ tons ; 

 the measurements as follows — length, 32 ft. 6 in.; greatest girth, 

 15 ft. 6 in.; least, 4 ft; height at the flippers, 4 ft. 8 in.; length of 

 flippers, 4 ft. I in. ; length of dorsal fin, 2 ft. 4 in. ; distance of dorsal 

 fin from fork of tail, 9 ft. 3 in. ; distance from tip to tip of tail^ 

 7 ft. 2 in. ; breadth of blade of tail, 2 ft. 8 in. ; distance from blow- 

 holes to end of jaw, 4 ft. 5 in. ; eye, situated near the angle of the 

 mouth, to end of jaw, 5 ft. 6 in. ; exposed portion of eyeball, 3 in. 



The following distinguishing marks as given by Mr. Thos. 

 Southwell in one of his papers were present : — colour on back black, 

 on the under parts white, the belly and throat were plaited for half 

 the length of the animal, the flippers black, dorsal fin distinct, whale- 

 bone short (from two or three inches at each end of the jaw to fifteen at 

 the centre), the roof of the mouth having the appearance of a woolly 

 lining from the numerous filaments of the baleen. 



As the smell on Sunday was very offensive, the body was 

 punctured ; and on Monday the blubber, varying in thickness from 

 3 to 7 in., was stripped off, the flesh and offal removed, and the bones 

 deposited in a warehouse. 



Mr. T. Birks, jun., corresponded with Mr. Southwell, who 

 expressed his opinion that the animal was a specimen of Balcenoptera 

 borealis Less., and at his kind suggestion an offer was made by Dr. 

 Giinther of the British Museum to send an agent to examine the 

 bones. This gentleman visited Goole on the i8th inst., satisfied 



Nov. 1884. 



