234 WHALES AND DOLPHINS 



BRYDE'S WHALE {Balcenoptera brydei). 



Bryde's Whale was not acknowledged as a distinct species 

 until 1912. Even at the present time it is probable that it is 

 often mistaken for the Sei Whale, which it most nearly resembles, 

 but there is not much doubt of the validity of giving this 

 whale specific recognition. A paper " On the External 

 Characters and Biology of Bryde's Whale, a New Rorqual from 

 the Coast of South Africa ", by O. Olsen, was published in the 

 ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1913, from which 

 most of the present description is taken. The body of Bryde's 

 Whale is remarkably elongated, and of far less powerful build 

 than that of either the Sei W T hale or the Lesser Rorqual. The 

 dorsal fin is very moderate in size, smaller than that of the 

 Finner and different from both the Sei Whale and Lesser 

 Rorqual. The hinder margin is concave, often with a slight 

 cut in it near the base. The ventral grooving on the throat 

 extends to the navel, while in the Sei Whale it extends only 

 about halfway between the tip of the flipper (laid along the 

 body) and the navel. The flippers are slender and pointed, and 

 measure about one-tenth to one-twelfth of the total length. 



The back is bluish-black in colour, and on the under surface in 

 the region of the throat there is a dark bluish-grey area which 

 may extend laterally backwards to the region of the flippers. 

 The rest of the under surface is white, or more or less yellowish, 

 often with a grey band across the belly in front of the navel. 

 The flippers are dark bluish-grey on both surfaces. 



Bryde's Whale is a comparatively small Rorqual and the 

 average length is about 42 feet, the maximum length recorded 

 being just over 49 feet. Females reach a size slightly larger 

 than males. 



The baleen is distinctive of the species ; in shape, size and 

 texture it differs from that of all the other Rorquals. The 

 blades are comparatively broad and have a concave inner 

 margin ; they are small for the size of the animal, the longest 

 being about 19 inches, whereas in a Sei Whale of the same 

 length they are about 27 inches long. The bristles are longer 

 than in the Sei Whale and thick and stiff, being on the whole 

 of very strong construction. The colour of the baleen in the 



