REIDENTIFICATION OF THE SUPPOSED TRUES BEAKED-WHALE MESOPLODON MIRUS FROM SCOTLAND

In the first week of January 1931 a beaked whale (Family Ziphiidae) st randed at Gierinish, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, was identified as a T rue's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus. This stranding is referred to fre quently in the cetacean literature, either directly or indirectly. Re- examination of the skull of this specimen reveals characters unique to Cuvier's whale Ziphius cavirostris and not shown by any Mesoplodon. T herefore, there is no known stranding of True's beaked whale in Britai n.