THE CATNG WHALE. 
45 
ing the idea of “ a double-roofed house.” They inclined to float lazily on 
the surface when not disturbed ; and when they disappeared underneath 
it was only for a short time. Water was blown from the front of the head 
when the latter was above the sea, and in a forward direction along the 
surface— not upwards. 
All parties who saw the animals agreed that they were neither bottle- 
nosed whales nor dolphins ; and I have no doubt, everything considered, 
that they were grampuses. 
When at Newcastle (County Down) in October, 1851, I was informed 
by fishermen that the grampus is seen there every summer, and is called 
the “ Herring Hog.” They identified the species on my showing them 
the figures in Bell’s British Quadrupeds. 
The Ca’ing Whale, Phoccena melas, Bell, Delphinus melas, Traill., 
Is of not very unfrequent occurrence on the ocean-coasts of Ireland. 
I am not aware of their having visited the eastern line of coast, the 
favoured one of the Hyperoodon. Some years since, in the Annals of 
Natural History (vol. v.), I noticed the D. melas as follows : — 
“This species is stated by Dr. Ball of Dublin to be occasionally driven 
ashore in large herds on the southern coast of Ireland, and to be of frequent oc- 
currence in the month of June at Youghal. Here a herd of seventy-five came 
ashore a few years ago, of which the average size was from 11 to 18 feet, but 
one individual had attained to 22 feet in length. When visiting the South 
Islands of Arran (off the coast of Clare), in June, 1834, accompanied by Dr. 
Ball, a portion of a skeleton of a Pamelas was found by us on the beach. On 
this gentleman revisiting the same islands in the following summer, he saw the 
remains of a herd of these animals lying where they had perished : the inhabit- 
ants speak of them as common.” 
Since the preceding appeared, the following newspaper paragraphs have 
come under my notice. 
“ The Ca’ing Whale. — A shoal of the above came into the bay at Ardmore 
on Friday, and many were captured by the poor people in the neighbourhood.” 
— Copied from the Cork Standard into the Northern Whig, July 4th, 1840. 
“Capture of Whales. — On Sunday morning an immense shoal of large 
fish was observed by Mr. William Murphy and others of Carracloe, disporting 
off that coast. After the lapse of some time, two boats manned by willing and 
athletic hands pushed out in pursuit, armed with guns, &c. The second shot 
having taken effect on one of those novel visitors to our shore, it immediately 
uttered a fearful cry and rushed towards the Wexford bar, followed by all its 
comrades. The pursuers continued firing and making much noise, and finally 
succeeded in driving them on shore near the Raven Point, where they made 
thirty-eight captives. They proved to be that description of the whale tribe 
known by the name of the “ bottle-nose,” and vary in length from ten to twenty- 
eight feet, and in weight from five cwt. to four tons. The captors are busily 
engaged in saving the blubber and other unctuous parts, for the purpose of ex- 
tracting the oil, which promises to be abundant.” — Copied from the Wexford 
Independent into the Belfast Commercial Chronicle, July 8th, 1840. 
“Extensive Capture of Whales in Lough Swilly.- — On Wednesday 
morning last a large shoal of whales of the bottle-nosed species were observed 
making their way into Lough Swilly, — probably in pursuit of herrings. The 
fishermen of the island of Inch, Rathmullen, and the adjacent coasts immedi- 
ately mustered in force, and succeeded in embaying the gigantic fish till the tide 
receded, and left them struggling on the sand, where, in a short time, no fewer 
than seventy-three were despatched, one of which weighs four tons and a half.” 
— Copied from the Northern Whig, July 24th, 1840. 
