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Volume 9 - Electric Scotland

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68 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY<br />

young female that came under my notice was over 9.5 feet<br />

long, while the mother was 1<br />

nearly 6 feet. There was no<br />

evidence that the mother had had another calf, as the<br />

mammae were shrunk, and the uterus was empty. It is thus<br />

possible that this young female was born near Nairn in<br />

September 1896, and stranded near Nairn in September<br />

I<br />

1899. may remark that all three had tails shaped like the<br />

one figured by Sir Wm. Turner (" Journ. Anat. Phys.," 1885).<br />

I think it unnecessary to give detailed measurements now.<br />

If the larger whales are often mistaken, the one for the<br />

other, no wonder that Porpoises and Dolphins are often<br />

neglected along our coasts. Globicephalus inelas and PJioccena<br />

communis are the only two species of Delphinidse that are<br />

plentiful. Tursiops tursio, DelpJiinus delpJiis, and Lagenorliynclius<br />

albirostris are scarce, and may at times pass unnoticed.<br />

LAGENORHYNCHUS ACUTUS (White-sided Dolphin).<br />

Has been recorded from a skull. This is a very rare animal<br />

in <strong>Scotland</strong>, as I will show when I<br />

speak of another species<br />

which must have been mistaken for it at times.<br />

I<br />

know of no specimens of Orca or Grampus having been<br />

stranded or captured in the Moray Firth.<br />

DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS (White Wrhale). Has been<br />

seen at long intervals. Some years ago, one was seen for<br />

several days off the coast of Banffshire. It was repeatedly<br />

shot at, but was not secured. One was caught at Little<br />

Ferry, Sutherland, in 1879.<br />

No mention is made of Prodelphinus in Mr. Lydekker's<br />

book on British mammals, although it is not a very rare<br />

genus on the coasts of Britain. Skulls of Prodelphinus are<br />

often to be seen in the large museums of <strong>Scotland</strong>. The<br />

Hunterian Museum in Glasgow has at least two skulls,<br />

supposed to be from west of <strong>Scotland</strong>, belonging to individuals<br />

of this genus.<br />

I think there are two in the<br />

Anatomical Museum in Edinburgh. There is a complete<br />

the museum of University College, Dundee, which<br />

skeleton in<br />

was prepared from a local specimen. There is also another<br />

skull in the same museum. I have a rather badly preserved

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