BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 



7 8l 



a nodosa (Bonnatcrre). Humpback 



whale. 

 G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 2; True, 1904, p. 211. (No 



local records given by either writer.) 

 Were formerly seen in Vineyard Sound ; none for 



many years. V. N. Edwards. 



Balcenoptera physalus (Linnaeus). Common fin- 

 back whale. 



G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 2; True, 1904, p. 107. (No 

 local records given by either writer.) 



Whales of this species were formerly seen in 

 Vineyard Sound, the last one in 1903 or 1904. 

 V. N. Edwards. Mr. Edwards states that two 

 specimens, which were believed at the time to 

 be sulphur-bottom whales (B. muscuhis), were 

 taken many years ago during the month of May 

 at Tuckernuck and Smiths Island, respect- 

 ively. They had drifted ashore, after being 

 shot. The skeleton of one of these was sent to 

 the National Museum. Dr. True informs us 

 that no sulphur-bottom whales have been re- 

 ceived at the museum, but only specimens of 

 the finback. He therefore regards the foregoing 

 records as applying to the finback, and regards 

 any records of the occurrence of the sulphur- 

 bottom whale in the Woods Hole Region as 

 being questionable. 



/ Balanoptera musculus (Linnaeus). Sulphur-bot- 

 tom whale. 



Goode, 1884, p. 27 (Sibbaldius borealis); G. M. 

 Allen, 1904, p. 3 (no local records). 



According to Goode, Prof. Baird obtained a fine 

 skeleton of this whale at Nantucket in 1875; 

 but Mr. Edwards believes that reference is 

 here made to one of the two specimens men- 

 tioned in our discussion of the preceding spe- 

 cies. As stated above, Dr. True questions the 

 reliability of any records of the occurrance of 

 the sulphur-bottom whale in local waters. 

 BaloEnoptera acuto-rostrata Lacepede. Little piked 

 whale. 



G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 2 (no local records); True, 

 1904, p. 192. 



Monomoy Point Lighthouse, July u, 1883, a 

 young specimen picked up and towed into 

 Harwichport; the skeleton was received by 

 the National Museum from the U. S. Fish 

 Commission. True. 



Family 



Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus. Sperm whale. 

 Jackson, 1842, p. 137; Goode, 1884, p. 7; G. M. 



Allen, 1904, p. 3. 

 "Vineyard Sound, about 15 miles from New Bed- 



ford, on the 29th of March, 1842", a specimen 



Physeter macrocephalus Continued . 



16 feet long. Jackson. Siasconset, Nan- 

 tucket, August 26, 1897, a young (apparently 

 new born) specimen obtained by Dr. Harrison 

 Allen and presented by him to the National 

 Museum. True. 



Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby). 



G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 4. 



Nantucket, a specimen i6feet in length. Agas- 

 siz. (Note in Proceed ings of the Boston Society 

 of Natural History, November 6, 1867.) 



Family DELPHIN T ID^. 



Globiocephala mclas (Traiil). Blackfish. 



Goode, 1884, p. ii ; G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 5 (no 

 local records); True, 1889, p. 133 (no local 

 records). 



"Occasionally run ashore at Nan tucket. "- 

 Goode. Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, 

 appearing in schools; formerly common. 

 V. N. Edwards. Dr. True informs us that va- 

 rious skeletons and skulls of this species, which 

 had been collected by Mr. Edwards, were re- 

 ceived by the National Museum in 1875, 1877, 

 and 1884. Forty-five were driven ashore at 

 Monument Beach, Buzzards Bay, on Septem- 

 ber 30, 1907, these being only a fraction of the 

 total school. 



Phoccena phocana (Linnaeus). Puffing pig, snuffer, 

 harbor porpoise, herring hog. 



True, 1889, p. 118 (Phocaena communis; no local 

 records); G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 6 (no local 

 records). 



Taken in traps at Menemsha Bight, and formerly 

 in Buzzards Bay (when trap fishing was al- 

 lowed); ascends the "river " as far as New Bed- 

 ford, feeding upon ale wives; appears in June 

 and July. V. N. Edwards. Dr. True informs 

 us that odd bones, sent by Mr. Edwards from 

 Woods Hole, are stored in the National Mu- 

 seum (entered in 1874). 



Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray). Striped porpoise, 

 skunk porpoise. 



True, 1889, p. 85; G. M. Allen, 1904, p. 6 (no 

 local records). 



Woods Hole (specimen figured by True, 1889, 

 pi. xxiii). Dr. True likewise supplies us with 

 records of specimens taken in 1888 in neighbor- 

 ing parts of the ocean, somewhat beyond the 

 limits of the region as defined in this report. 

 Buzzards Bay; schools frequently seen in Au- 

 gust and September. V. N. Edwards. One 

 taken at Menemsha Bight in fish trap October 

 7, 1901. 



