THE WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN.
169
A vote of thanks to Mr. Browne was proposed by the President, who pointed
out the great interest and value to the student of vegetable physiology of the facts
brought forward by the lecturer.
Prof. Boulger, in seconding the vote of thanks, expressed the great pleasure
which Mr. Browne's specimens and his remarks upon them had afforded him.
Prof. Boulger entered into some detailed observations on some points in the lecture,
and exhibited and commented upon a remarkable fasciated Delphinium grown by
Mr. Oldham in his garden at Woodford.
The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation, and Mr. Browne having briefly
responded, the meeting terminated in the usual conversazione.
THE WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN (DELPHINUS
ALBIROSTRIS) IN THE RIVER COLNE.
By HENRY LAVER, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., F.S.A.
On Wednesday, September nth, 1889, I had the pleasure of inspect-
ing an addition to the Cetacean fauna of Essex, a man (Abraham
Collins) having found seven "porpoises," as he called them, in the
shallows of the Colne, between Colchester and Brightlingsea. He
succeeded in driving one aground, and thrusting his pocket-knife
into the region of the heart, as near as he could judge, so killed the
animal. I saw it soon after he brought it home, and found that it
was a female specimen of the White-beaked Dolphin (Delphinus
albirostris), measuring 6 feet 5 inches in length. I secured it at
once, so as to save, if possible, so good an example of this rare
species, and then offered it to Dr. Gunther for the British Museum,
but he informed me that it was not required, so that, after all, I fear
its destination will be the boiling-pot for the sake of the oil. It is
the first example of the species I have seen in Essex. None of our
fishermen have ever noticed the species before, and they all mention
the white beak and belly as distinguishing marks. The figure in
Southwell's "Seals and Whales" gives a very fair idea of the animal,
marking well the peculiarly white beak and the shaded white marks
on the sides on the ribs and also on the side of the tail. These
marks, which I call "shaded," have just the appearance which would
be produced by scratches made by gravel or sand, and then again
healed, leaving white streaks where the abrasions had occurred. The
flukes measured 231/2 inches in width, and the dorsal fin, following the
curve in front, 151/2 inches, and the flippers 131/2 inches, also following
the curve.
Since I saw the specimen, I have received some further particulars
N