ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 269 



San Francisco, and eavlier here tlian at San Diego. He had 

 received reports of the same commotion experienced at Honolulu, 

 wlicre the disturbance Avas noted two and three-quarters hours 

 earlier than at the Golden Gate. He had made careful calculations 

 from the data received, and had determined that the immediate 

 locality of the earthquake disturbance, commencing on the 24th of 

 August, was about midway between the southern point of Kam- 

 chatka and the northern shores of the Japanese Islands. On the 

 16th and 17th of September, the tide-gauge again indicated earth- 

 quake disturbance, and, from the character of the waves, it was 

 determined that the location of the shock was not far removed from 

 this Coast. 



Dr. Hewston, in behalf of Capt. Scammon, read the following 

 communication : 



On a New Species of Balsenop ter a.* 



BY CAPT. C. M. SCAMMON, U. S. R. M. 



BAL^NOPTERA, Gray. 



Balanoptera, Gray, P. Z. S., 1847, p. 89, B. M. Cat. Get. 1850, p. 31. 



Bal^noptera Davidsoni, Scammon, n. sp. 



Above, dull black ; body, pectoral and caudal fins white below, with a white 

 band across the upper surface of the pectorals near their bases. Gular folds, sev- 

 enty in number ; the interspaces having a pinkish cast, though the more promin- 

 ent portions are of a milky white. Head pointed ; dorsal fin small, falcate, placed 

 two-thirds the length of the body from the end of the beak. Pectorals small, 

 narrow, placed one-third of the animal's length from the anterior extremity. 

 Genitalia opening below and slightly behind the anterior edge of the dorsal fin. 

 Baleen, pure white ; laminae on each side, two hundred and seventy in number ; 

 the longest not exceeding ten inches. Total length of animal, twenty-seven 

 feet ; pectorals four feet long, thirteen inches wide ; spiracles three feet eight 

 inches behind the end of the beak ; pectorals, ditto, eight feet six inches ; anter- 

 ior edge of dorsal, ditto, fifteen feet six inches ; posterior edge, ditto, eighteen 

 feet. Height of dorsal, ten inches ; breadth of flukes, from point to point, 

 seven feet six inches ; width of lobes of the same, twenty-five inches. From 

 the fork of the caudal fin to the anus, eight feet four inches ; ditto to openirg 

 of vagina, nine and a half feet. Anterior end of snout to corner of mouth, 

 four feet eight inches. 



Distribution from Mexico to Bering Strait ; on the west coast of Amer- 



ica. 



*Printed in advance, Oct. itli, 1872, 

 Peoc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Vol. IV.— 20. Jauuaby, 1873. 



