Ill 
VII. 
On a Specimen of a Whale, Rudolphi’s Rorqual (Bale- 
NOPTERA BOREALIS, LeSSON, -SlBBALDIUS LATICEPS, GRAY) 
lately taken in the Riyer Grouch, Essex. 
By Prof. W. H. Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., 
Pres. Z.S., &c. 
[Read December loth, 1883.] 
Early in the morning of the 1st of November, 1888, some 
fishermen discovered a whale alive in shallow water near the 
mouth of the River Crouch, in Essex, having had its retreat 
to the open sea cut off by the falling tide. After consider¬ 
able difficulty they succeeded in capturing and killing it. It 
was exhibited for some time at Southend, and was the 
subject of a Chancery suit regarding its ownership between 
the Lord of the Manor of Burnham, Sir Henry Mildmay, and 
the fishermen who caught it, the former establishing his 
claim to it as a < - royal fish.” The following is the report of 
the motion as it appeared in the ‘ Times ’ of Thursday, Nov. 
8th, 1888 :— 
4 ‘ High Court of Justice. Before Mr. Justice Chitty. Mildmay 
v. Page.— The Plaintiff, Sir Henry Mildmay, lord of the 
manor of Burnham, in the County of Essex, claims to be 
entitled to a several fishery in the River Crouch, and to all 
royal fish caught in the river. A Whale of a somewhat 
uncommon species, called a Rock Whale [Rorqual ?] was 
recently captured in the river by the defendant, who is now 
exhibiting it at Southend, and the plaintiff asserts that it 
belongs to him as lord of the manor. 
“ Mr. Methold now applied for an interim mj unction to 
restrain the defendant from parting with, injuring or destroy¬ 
ing the Whale, on the ground that it was a royal fish, and he 
stated, in support of his application, that the plaintiff’s 
predecessor in title had obtained the verdict of a jury in 1673 
affirming the title of the lord to the several fishery, and, 
