Notes on Irish CetaceaAuthor(s): R. Lloyd PattersonSource: The Irish Naturalist, Vol. 9, No. 8 (Aug., 1900), pp. 210-212Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25521810 .

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210 The frish Naturalist [August,

NOTES ON IRISH CETACEA. BY R. LLOYD PATTERSON, F.L.S.

THE perusal of Mr. Beddard's recently published " Book of Whales " led me to re-read Dr. Scharff's article on this subject

in the April number of the frish Nait ralist; and to endeavour

to further elucidate a little-known subject I have referred to

my notes, and think the following may be considered of sufficient interest to justify its insertion in the same Journal.

Oniitting anything that has already appeared in my book on

"The Birds, etc., of Belfast Lough," and coming to more recent

years, I find in nmy fishing notes of 1892 to I897, both

included (I have none since) niumerous references to the

Cetacea. The Porpoise is of almiost daily occurrence, and

need not be further mentioned. Three others, namely, the

common Beaked (better known as the Bottle-nosed) Whale,

Hypberoodon rostra/us; the Ca'ing, or Pilot Whale, Globicep ha us

me/as; and the Rorqual, Bala'onop(era m-usculus, occur, I may

say, every autumn; and I have occasionally seen all three

here in one day, the first and last-mentioned generally singly

the others sometimes singly, but also sometimes in small

'"schools" of from two or three up to four or five or so

together. They can be distinguished by the different shape of

the heads-the "beak" of the first-mentioned, the blunt, rounded front of the second, and the flat-topped head of the

third beinlg distinctly seen when the animals come to the

surface to breathe or to attack a " ball " of fry. I have numerous

and some interesting notes of them-one to the effect that I

have no doubt the two larger species sometimes look round

them in a leisurely manner when they come to the surface;

for I have often observed them change the direction of their

course and go straight to a " play " of birds over a " ball " of

fry, towards which their attention had been directed when on the surface, by sight or sound, or both, of the birds hovering and crying over and dipping on the fry.

If they rise pretty near and to windward a strong fishy odour is very evident.

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I9ao.] PATTERSON.-NO/eS On IriSh Celacea. 211

Besides the above, I think Sibbald's Rorqual nmay also occur

here. I had remarked that I had never seen any of these

creatures either " broaching " clear of the water or " peaking

the flukes," as the Sperm Whale does on going down; but I

have noted, under date 22nd June, I895, having sailed over to

near Portpatrick, on returning, and when in about mid

channel, "a large whale ' broached' clear of the water near

the boat." Unfortunately I did not see it in the air, but

heard the tremendous splash it made, anld saw the effects of it

in spray and small waves on its returning to the water.

In reply to my inquiries the boatinan declared it was " three

times the length of the boat and about as big as her in the

body,"' which would have given it a length of some I02 feet

and a girth of nearly 30! But on my declaring these dimen

sions impossible he said, " Maybe it was not more than twice

the length of the boat," which would have made it 68 to 70

feet long, below which estimate he would not comne! My own note adds, "The splash I saw might have been 5o feet long,

possibly considerably more."

I have no doubt that the Killer, Orca gladiator, sometimes

visits our waters.

Under date 20th August, 1895, I have noted :-Saw a large

Rorqual several times, then two, and a Pilot Whale, and,

I believe, a Killer. I have occasionally had three large

Rorquals in view at once, and considered there were five or

six in the Bay at the time. These seemed to be about 30 to

40 feet long, and I have occasionally seen them fully 50 feet.

The Bottle-tnosed Whales were estimated at 20 to 30 feet, and

the Pilot or Ca'ing Whales at IO to IS feet. Of late years the

Rorqnial is seen here more frequently than thle Bottle-nosed

species. An interesting note of a much rarer species is under date

8th December, 1895, when " My nephew, Mr. Egnmont Praeger,

told me of a strange Cetacean having been cast ashore just

beyond Rockport Quay" (i.e., between two and three miles

from here), on the Co. Down shore of the bay. Accompanied

by General Sir Henry Geary, K.C.B., anid his son, I went to see

it the followinlg day, and examined and measured the animal.

I found it to be a Bottle-nosed Dolphin, the Delphinus tursio

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212 The Irish Naturalist. [August,

of Bell and Southwell, the figure of the animal given by the

latter author on p. 124 of his "Seals and Whales of the

British Seas " being very good, except that the dorsal fin is

rather too pointed. The dimensions of this very rare visitor were about as

follow, strict accuracy being difficult owing to the mutilated

condition of the creature when seen by me:

Length (in a straight line), . . io ft. 6 in. to 9 in.

Tail, broad, . . . . ft. 2 in.

Flipper, long, . . . . . I ft. Do., broad, . . . . . o ft. 4 in

Girth, about, . . . . . 5 to 6 ft.

The attenuated beak had a gape of mouth of about 9 in., and

about 3 in. more showing, but not open, inside the cheeks.

The lower jaw was slightly the longest. The colour was slate

above; under jaw, breast, and remaining underparts dull

white. I paid it a second visit the next day, after referring to

my books and to confirm previous observations, and found

nothing to add. I sent down the next day to secure the head,

but it had unfortunately been removed and the body cut up.

Holywood.

NOTES.

BOTANY.

Flowers ancd I nsects.

I am much interested in MIr. C. B. Moffatt's renmarks on the fertilization

of Orobanche major and other flowers by wasps. Noticitng how other

visitors are kept by these insects from the flowers of Scrohularia nzodosa

during the day, on one occasion I watched some plants of that species at

night, and found them abundantly visited by several of the common

Noctuid moths. It, may be doubted whether these are useful in the

pollination of the flowers. I bave seen them visited also by a few small

Diptera, which certainly are of no service to them.

W. E. HART.

Howth.

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