160 A BOOK OF WHALES 



Balcenoptera davidsoni of Scammon, the "sharp- 

 headed Firmer whale," is a small species of which only 

 one example, measuring 27 feet, was examined. It 

 was full grown, as is evinced by the fact that from 

 it was withdrawn a foetus of 5 feet 6 inches in length. 

 It had very pointed pectorals with a white band above 

 and near the bases. The baleen is pure white, 270 

 laminae on each side of the mouth, the longest lamina 

 measuring- 10 inches. The colour of the animal was 



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dull black above, white below, and the under side 

 of both pectoral and caudal fins was also white. The 

 throat had seventy longitudinal folds. The blubber 

 of this whale averaged three inches in thickness, 

 and the yield of oil was about 300 gallons. This 

 whale goes about singly, and when it spouts it makes 

 "a quick, faint spout," like that of a calf, which 

 accounts for its having been considered to be the 

 young of some other species. 



The " Sulphur- Bottom whale" (Balcenoptera (Sib- 

 baldius] stiphureus, Cope) is a huge creature, of which 

 an example has been measured and found to be 

 95 feet in length with a girth of 39. In this indi- 

 vidual the baleen was four feet in length, and the 

 yield of oil 110 barrels. The animal .weighed 147 

 tons. It derives its name from the yellowish colour 

 of the underparts ; the back is lighter in colour than 

 is usual, and is sometimes very light brown, approach- 

 ing to white. This whale occurs in the Atlantic as 



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well as in the Pacific. As other whales are wont 

 to do, the Sulphur- Bottom will often follow ships. 

 Dr. Stillman relates how a whale of this species 



