16; 



NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF 

 THE BELUGA, OR WHITE WHALE, IN THE OUSE. 



THOMAS BUNKER, 

 Goole. 



Early in April a Wliite Wliale or Beluga {Delphinapterus 

 leiicas Pallas) was captured a little below Naburn Lock, on 

 the Yorkshire Ouse. Its length was ii feet 8 inches and 

 weight 55 stones. Its colour was dirty white. There was no 

 caudal fin, but a ridge along the back. It had nine or ten 

 small pointed teeth in each jaw. I do not knqw the sex of this 

 specimen, but a few years ago a female Grampus {Orca gladiator) 

 was captured in the Humber, and when opened a foetus was 

 found. 



Beluga Caught in the Ouse, April 1905- 



The usual habitat of the Beluga is in the Arctic Ocean, 

 though it may often be seen on the coast of Labrador. It 

 ascends the rivers in search of food, and probably destroys 

 many Salmon and other fish. 



In Greenland and on the North American coasts the White 

 Whales, sometimes called White Porpoises, occur in shoals or 

 schools. The skin is used for ' porpoise '-hide boot-laces ; 

 though, if trade secrets were no longer secrets, it might become 

 known that the skins of animals much more common, dressed 

 with whale oil, were sometimes substituted. 



Records of the White Whale in Britain are very rare. In 

 * The Naturalist' for September 1903 Sir Robert Lloyd Patterson 

 recorded the first specimen for our county. It was 18 to 20 teet 

 long, and was seen at Scarborough. In the same journal for 



1905 June I. 



