History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Monodon. MAMMALIA. CETACEA. 37This speciesvaries much in size. That of Dale, taken near Maldon 1717,was 14 feet long, and 7i in circumference. The one described by Hunter,taken above London Bridge 1783, was 21 feet long.The one figured bySowerby, found near Brodie House, Elginshire, by James Brodie, Esq. was1G feet "long, and 11 in circumference. One of the individuals mentioned inthe second edition of the British Zoology, taken in the Dee near Chester,October 1785, was 24 feet long, and 12 in "circumference. Two others, lefton the sands below Aber, Carnarvonshire, 1799, measured, the one 27 feet,the other 18, and the breadth of the tail of the largest was 6 feet. Sowerby" says, Head accumulated. Lower jaw blunt, longer than the upper, withtwo short, lateral, bony teeth. Upper jaw sharp, let into the lower one bytwo lateral impressions corresponding with the teeth. Opening of the mouth1 foot 6 inches. Tongue smooth, vascular, small. Throat -very vascular,rough. Under the throat are found two diverging furrows, terminating belowthe eyes, which are small, and placed 6 inches behind the mouth." Hunterobserves, that there are only two small teeth in the anterior of the lowerjaw, and that in the stomach he found the beaks of some hundreds of cuttlefish.Gen. XXXV. MONODON. Narwal.—A straight tooth,projecting antealiy from one side of the upper lip and jaw.Destitute of a dorsal fin.56. M. Monoceros. Body subcorneal, head blunt, with aridge extending from the tail to the middle of the back.Unicornu marinum, Tulpius, Obser. Med. p. 376. tab. xviii—Mon. nion.Sowerby, Brit. Misc. tab. ix Small-headed Narwal, Fleming, Wern.Mem. vol. i. p. 131. tab. vi Narwal, Scoresby, Arct. lleg. vol. i. p. 486.tab. xv. £1.8,Three individuals appear to have been found on the British shores. Theone noticed by Tulpius, as found in June 1648, " in man aquilonari, propeinsulam Mayam," (usually considered as the May), was 22 feet long but in;this, the horn, which projected 7 feet, was probably included. The secondindividual was found 15th February 1800, at Frieston, near Boston, Lincolnshire.According to information which I received from Sir JosephBanks (who had communicated his remarks to Lacepede, which, however,were misinterpreted, see Wern. Mem. i.p. 147), in a letter dated 19thJanuary 1809, " The animal, when found, had buried the whole of itsbody in the mud of which the beach there is composed, and seemed safelyand securely waiting the return of the tide. A fisherman, going to his boat,saw the horn, which was covered up, and trying to pull it out of the mud,raised the animal, who stirred himself hastily to secure his horn from the attack."This specimen is stated to have been 25 feet in length, of which thetooth probably constituted 7- Sowerb}' in his drawing (which is equally badwith that of Lacepede Hist. Nat. des Cet. p. 159. tab. v. f. 2.), has added, fromfancy, a second horn or tooth. The third individual, a male, found 2/ thSeptember 1808, at the Sound of Weesdale, Zetland, has been described by mein the Wernerian Memoirs. It was a young animal, only measuring, fromthe snout to the tail, 12 feet, with a tooth projecting 27 inches. The lengthof this animal seldom reaches to 16 feet, and the circumference 9 feet. Theforehead rises suddenly from the short snout, the outline then becomesslightly elevated over the blow-hole, after which a slight depression marks theneck. The first half of the body is nearly cylindrical, the remaining portionto the tail, conical. In this latter portion there is a dorsal and ventral lowridge, and less distinctly marked lateral "dges, giving it a subquadrangular