41 
The other points embraced by the affidavits of the Stronsa fishermen and 
inhabitants were, that the eyes were not larger than a seal’s—there were 
two spout-\io\Qs on each side of the neck, one and a quarter inches in 
diameter, and one on back of the skull; the flesh like coarse ill-coloured 
beef, interlarded with fat or tallow; had no affinity to fish when put into 
the fire, neither flamed nor melted, but burned away like gristle. The 
stomach, four feet long, and thick as a firkin, divided right across by a 
membrane three-sixteenths of an inch thick, and of same substance as 
stomach itself. It contained a fetid liquid like blood and water, and at 
either end was the appearance of a gut; a large bone was brought from 
the carcass, which was considered as the collar bone. 
When the account of this animal wreck reached Edinburgh, competent 
parties were sent to Stronsa, by whom the above particulars were gathered, 
and such portions also of the remains as could be preserved were brought 
to Edinburgh, and submitted there to the examination of the scientific 
public of the day. Dr. Barclay’s notices upon these fragments are as 
follows:— 
The vertebrae of the back are without any processes, either transverse 
or spinous, capable therefore of inflection in any direction ; united by an 
intervertebral ligament one-half to three-fourths of an inch thick ; the 
osseous portion of the vertebrae soft and porous, and the cartilaginous part 
predominating. Though on a cursory view, these vertebrae present charac¬ 
ters common to most fishes, there is one marked exception, besides the 
total absence of processes, viz., the inequality of size of the vertebrae, a 
large one being interposed between two small ones, and a small one be¬ 
tween two large ones; the reason of this conformation Dr. B. cannot 
explain, unless it be to favour the action of the muscular fibres, which by 
this contrivance must have entered the two contiguous vertebrae at less 
acute angles than if they had been more parallel to the axis; if so, this 
arrangement of vertebrae becomes a substitute for the wanting processes. 
“ 1 h e dried and shrivelled head is only twelve inches from first cervical 
vertebra to farthest part that remains of jaw; the broadest part of the 
head in its present state seven inches. 
“ The first cervical vertebra is two inches in diameter, some of the others 
are six and a half; bristles of the mane unlike the radii of a fin; there 
is some indication of a sternum.” Though Dr. Barclay considered the 
facts too indeterminate for a positive decision on the class to which this 
animal might belong, yet the presence of a neck (quoting Astedi) and 
the spiracula, inclined him to place it among the cetacea. It is right to 
