50 
CETACEA. 
forks and knives, repaired to the scene of action, and commenced the terrible 
onslaught. The dying agonies of the mighty monsters were truly tremendous. 
Desperate from the repeated thrusts of the opponents, and from their inextric- 
able position, their powerful tails were wrought with astonishing effect. The 
water (of which there was yet a quantity around them) was lashed into foam 
and agitation, the crested waves stretching to an incredible distance, while high 
in air the water ascended in one unbroken sheet. From their blow-holes the 
crimsoned water was sent in a jet, imposingly grand, to a great height. After 
similar and protracted writhings, with a kind of snort or roar, their fury sub- 
sided, and in a short time all was still. They were towed to the shore amidst 
the gaze of numerous and wondering spectators, a large number of whom ar- 
rived hourly to inspect them. A number of men were then employed to cut off 
the blubber, of which there were thirteen barrels, loading five carts. The di- 
mensions of the largest fish were 24 feet 4 inches in length, and 16 feet at the 
thickest part in circumference ; the smaller one about 16 feet long, and thick in 
proportion. The tail of the largest was 6| feet in breadth.” 
It is very probable that other paragraphs to the same effect may have 
appeared in the newspapers, especially as those here introduced I observed 
merely on a casual perusal of some of those published in a provincial town. 
It is rarely that such notices are of any service to the naturalist, but the 
very peculiar form of the head of the animal under consideration (whence 
it has received the name of the Bottle-nosed Whale), taken in connexion 
with the dimensions stated, leaves no doubt in any instance here quoted 
that the Hyperoodon is alluded to. Were the size of the individual de- 
scribed about one half of what is reported, then would there be a doubt 
whether the captives might not have been the Bottle-nosed Dolphin ( Del - 
phinus Tursio , Fabr.), a much smaller species, having the snout prolonged 
somewhat like that of the Hyperoodon , and which is occasionally taken on 
the British coast. 
The three Hyperoodons recorded to have occurred on the English shores 
appeared singly. The two particularly described by M. Baussard * were 
taken in company at Honfleur, and considered a mother and her young — 
the one was 23, the other 12, feet in length. Of the seven individuals 
captured on the Irish coast, they on two occasions appeared in pairs ; and 
in one of the three instances here copied from newspapers two of these 
whales were secured at the same time. It would be interesting to know 
whether those which have so appeared were male and female — at all 
events it would seem that the species is not gregarious. 
So very little of the history of the Hyperoodon is known, that it is hoped 
even the few particulars here recorded may prove an acceptable contri- 
bution.” 
And in the Annals for March, 1846, vol. xvii. p. 150, I added the 
following notice : — 
“In a paper published in the Annals for February, 1840 (vol. iv. p. 
375), I noticed seven Hyperoodons, the first of which had previously been 
most fully described by Dr. Jacob of Dublin as having been obtained on 
a limited portion of the coast of Ireland, comprised in less than the north- 
ern half of the eastern line of coast, or merely from the Bay of Belfast to 
that of Dublin inclusive. An eighth, about 24 feet in length, examined 
by Dr. G. J. Allman, was obtained at the island of Ireland’s Eye, on the 
Dublin coast, on the 30th of October, 1842. I have now to record the oc- 
currence of a ninth individual procured within the same range of coasts. 
F. Cuv. Hist, de Cet. pp. 242, 249. 
