229 
which have been obtained from time to time on our coast (if 
Iiight-whales at all), must have belonged to Eschricht’s new species 
which ho called Balinna hiscayensis. 
This species, which is probably identical with the Black Whale 
(/i. cts-arctica, of Cope) found on the opposite coast of 
North America, although it has been taken of late years in the 
I^lediterranean at Taranto, and in its old haunt the Bay of Biscay, 
olf St. Sebastian, has not, so far as I know, with the vague 
exceptions before referred to, been recorded on the British coast. 
It was with no small pleasure, therefore, that in a letter dated 
25th November, 1880, 1 heard from Captain David Gray that many 
years ago an old Bight-whale and her “calf” had been seen in 
leterhead Bay, and that on another occasion ho had himself 
seen one of these animals not far from the same spot. 
With regard to the first case. Captain Gray was good enough to 
obtain for me the independent testimony of two old men, James 
Webster and John Allan, both of whom are still living at Peter- 
head, and were witnesses of the events which they relate. The 
two statements coincide so remarkably, making allowance for the 
lapse of so many years, that it is only necessary to give one. 
“ James ebster, 85 years of ago, remembers Greenland Whales 
coining into South Bay of Peterhead : at that time he would have 
been about ten years of ago [John Allan says “it was in 180G 
or 1807, same year as the new parish church was opened;” this 
was in 180G, and a^ees with Webster’s statement that he was 
ten years old at the time]. Eemembers them being an old Whale 
and a sucker. Saw five boats go out after them ; as far as he 
recollects, thinks it was the month of October [“ in the summer- 
tmie,” Allan]. They struck the old Whale, \and put iZL 
harpoons into her, then they struck the sucker and killed it • 
brought the sucker ashore and flenched it at the South Ouav 
[Allan says “they killed the young Whale, and flenched her at 
t le South Quay : she, having sunk, it was two or three days after 
be ore they got her in”j After they had three harpoons in the 
old y liale, she went twice up into the head of the Bav, goiim so 
fiir that she turned the sand up, and then she stove two of°the 
boats, and broke lAfackie’s, one of the harpooners, legs [Allan 
does not remember the name of the injured man, and thinks only 
one boat was stove]. After this, the Whale took a run, and went 
