168 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



SPECIES VIII. 



THE PHYSETER GIBBOSA, 



OR 



THE BUNCHED CACHALOT. 



The Physeter Gibbosa* is a native of the Northern Seas, 

 and is said to have the same general form as the B. My- 

 sticete, with the exception of its being of much smaller 

 dimensions, and having the back furnished with one or 

 more tubercles, which have been denominated Bunches, 

 and hence gave origin to its common appellation. A 

 variety of this species is found on the coasts of New 

 England ; and another, having six tubercles along the 

 back, was supposed by the late Dr. Shaw to inhabit the 

 coasts of Greenland, but neither of these varieties ap- 

 pears to be very accurately known either by the Whalers 

 or Zoologists. Their baleen is said to assume a pale or 

 whitish colour, and in their lower jaw they resemble the 

 Cachalots, by having teeth. The annexed plate is an 

 accurate representation of this animal. 



* Synonymes. — Baltzna Mocra or lean whale, Dr. Klein. In Ger- 

 man, Knotenfisch. In Dutch, Knobbefisch. The Bunched Whale of 

 the English zoologists. 



