244 A BOOK OF WHALES 



Both Sir W. Flower and Mr. True concur in allow- 

 ing but one species of White whale, which will 

 therefore have the following synonymy : 



Delphinapterus leucas, Pallas ; Delphinaptcrus be- 

 luga, Lacepede ; Delphinus albicans, Fabricius ; Beluga 

 catodon, Gray ; Catodon sibbaldii, Fleming ; Beluga 

 borealis, Lesson ; DelpJnnus canadensis, Desmarest ; 

 D. kingii, Gray ; B. rhino don, Cope ; B. declivis, 

 Cope ; B. angustata, Cope ; B. concreta, Cope. 



The White whale is entirely northern in range. 

 The alleged species D. kingii was asserted to come 

 from the Australian shores, but the locality requires 

 confirmation. It is so exclusively arctic in range 

 that there are but few certain records of the occur- 

 rence of this species on the shores of England, 

 though several specimens have been recorded from 

 Scotland, and the species occurs off the eastern coasts 

 of North America. It reaches a length of 16 to 20 

 feet. This whale is remarkable for its white colour 

 (its name, Beluga, from the Russian, signifies white), 

 which is, however, only characteristic of the full- 

 grown animals. The young is blackish, the older 

 whale is mottled, and finally a yellowish hue is 

 arrived at, which is gradually blanched to pure white. 

 Though the whale is marine it will ascend rivers, 

 mainly, it is said, in pursuit of salmon. It has been 

 said to ascend the Yukon river for a distance of 

 seven hundred miles. 



The name Delphinapterus, applied to this whale, 

 signifies the peculiarity of the absence of the dorsal 



