80 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX.
ed., p. 417) that, in 1788, six were found dead on the Kentish
coast. A live one ran ashore in the Thames at the same time.
Dale (Hist, of Harwich, 2nd ed., 1732, p. 413) also mentions
one caught in the Thames, and brought ashore at Blackwall.
An original manuscript letter from Walberswick, Suffolk,
dated 7th March, 1788, preserved in the British Museum
copy of the volume of the Philosophical Transactions for
1787, records the appearance of twelve Sperm Whales, after
a hard gale of northerly winds, in February, 1763. Two of
these were driven ashore, dead, on the coast of Essex—the
writer does not say at what points. He, however, cut up
more than one out of the twelve, and gives the dimensions
of some of the animals.
Sub-family ZIPHIINAE.
Genus Hyperoodon, Lacepede.
Hyperoodon rostratus, Chemnitz. Common Beaked Whale.
This Whale appears to come into British waters regularly
in the autumn, and specimens are killed almost every year
on some parts of the coasts of this island. John Hunter
records one captured in the Thames above London Bridge in
1783 (Bell's Brit. Quad., 2nd ed., p. 423). Another, no doubt
of this species, is figured in Dale's History of Harwich and
Dovercourt (p. 412), it having been captured in the Black-
water estuary.
In July, 1891, two male specimens of this whale occurred
in the Thames {Essex Nat., vol. v., p. 170). One was near
the Nore lightship, and was towed into Leigh. The other
was found near the entrance to Barking Creek. Dr. Murie
identified the Leigh example and Mr. W. Crouch the one
near Barking (see Essex County Chronicle, Aug. 14th, 1891).
This is the best-known species of the family of Ziphioid
whales, which are distinguished by possessing one or two pairs
of teeth, situated in the lower jaw only.