88 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



the Norwegians, although very uncertain in its numbers (7 71 were 

 killed in the Finmarken fishery in 1885, but sometimes it is scarce), is, 

 upon the whole, the most numerous species found off the Finmarken 

 coast. Until of late, it was considered a very rare species. It 

 seldom exceeds 48 feet in length, and is coloured bluish black 

 above, which becomes jet black after death, with more or less white 

 beneath, very unevenly distributed. The flippers are coloured like 

 the back on the outer surface, but lighter on the inner. The baleen 

 (Fig. 5, Plate IV.) is black, with the bristles white. Professor 

 Collett gives the length of the longest slip as from 550 to 600 mm. 

 (23.7 inches) : the longest slip in an example killed in the river 

 Crouch is given by Sir W. H. Flower as i 2 inches, degenerating in 

 front to mere hairs. This species appears late on the Finmarken 

 coast, generally in the beginning of June, and departs early in 

 August ; probably the duration of its stay depending upon the 

 presence of its principal food, which consists at that time of Calanus 

 finmarchicus and " Kril " (Euphaitsia inernis), which also form the 

 food of the Blue Whale. Owing to its small size and yield of oil 

 as well as of bone, this species is not a favourite of the whalers. 

 Of course these are mere baby whales compared with the giant 

 Blue Whale, and Mr. Cocks states that the heavy harpoon used has 

 been known to pass quite through their bodies and explode on the 

 other side. 



The LESSER RORQUAL (B. rostrata, Fab.), the Vaagehval (Bay 

 Whale) of the Norwegians, does not figure in the returns of that 

 country's fishing ; indeed, it is far from common there. It has a more 

 southerly habitat, the latitude of the Faroes being about its normal 

 limit ; .but on the English and Scottish coasts it is by no means 

 uncommon. Sir William Turner has published, in the " Proceedings 

 of the Royal Society, Edinburgh" (Session 1891-92, p. 36), an 

 elaborate description of a specimen which came ashore at Granton 

 in January 1888 ; and, although I have examined several in the flesh, 

 I cannot add much to his excellent account of its external 

 characters. 



It is the smallest of the Fin Whales, rarely exceeding 30 feet in 

 length. The head is flattened and pointed, hence one of its popular 

 names the " Pike Whale," the body slender but symmetrical, the 

 dorsal fin far back and falcate ; the flippers are about 4 feet long. 

 The baleen is very short, Sir Wm. Turner gives the length of the 

 longest slip of the Granton whale as 8 ins. long and 3 ins. wide at 

 the gum, and the colour is yellowish white (Fig. 6, Plate IV.). 

 The general colour of the body is black on the upper parts, with a 

 grayish tinge merging into white below. The nipper is black on 

 the outer side, crossed by a bar of white a feature by which it may 

 be readily distinguished from Rudolphi's Rorqual. This species feeds 

 on small fish, and is known by our fishermen as the " Sprat Whale." 



