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Show 808 MR. H. LEE ON RISSO'S GRAMPUS. [DeC. 4, The following papers were read :- 1. On the Capture of a Specimen of Risso's Grampus at Sidlesham, near Chichester. By H E N R Y L E E , F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. [Received November 20, 1877.] In the publications of the Zoological Society are to be found so many valuable notices of the occurrence on the coasts of Great Britain of some of the rarer Whales that I feel I ought, as one of its Fellows, to have communicated to the Society before now the capture of a specimen of Risso's Grampus more than two years ago not far from Chichester. O n the 26th of July, 1875, a "large porpoise" was seen to be embayed in shallow water at Sidlesham, near Chichester ; and a party of men succeeded in cutting off its retreat seaward, and driving it in shore. As the tide receded, it was left swimming in a deep pool; and its captors, after fastening a line with cork floats to its tail to mark its "whereabouts," telegraphed to Brighton information of its arrival. On the following morning an official from the Aquarium took charge of it, and it was conveyed alive to one of the large tanks there. Unfortunately, however, it only survived for twenty-four hours. Being in a different part of the country at the time, I had not the pleasure of seeing it alive; and when I was able to examine it it was in the hands of Air. Brasenor, the taxidermist I was greatly pleased, however, to find that this " bull-bead porpoise," as the local fishermen called it, was a Grampus of a species extremely rare in Britain- namely, Grampus griseus of Cuvier (which Professor Flower and others regard as identical with Risso's Grampus) and G. cuvieri of Dr. Gray. Only three specimens are known to have been previously taken on the English, and eight on the French coasts. In the stomach were many homy beaks of the common Squid (Loligo vulgaris) and twelve small stones. The distinctive characters and measurements of this animal were as follows:- Vertebrce.-Cervical 7, dorsal 12, lumbar and caudal 49 ; total 68. Ribs.-12. Teeth.-None in the upper jaw ; in the lower jaw four on each side, on the anterior part of the ramus, separate, conical, acute, curved inward (especially towards the crown). Dental formula ^ . Dimensions. ft. in. Total length 8 0 Girth, in front of dorsal fin 3 8 From upper lip to anterior edge of dorsal fin (following curve) 3 7 From upper lip to blowhole (following curve) .. 1 4 From upper lip to junction of anterior edge of pectoral fin with body 1 7 |