NO. 1357. A KILLER WHALE FROM MAINE— TRUE. 229 



of the manner in which the light strikes the back." Schlegel's figure 

 also agrees admirably, but the lower jaw is represented as longer, and 

 there are slight dirt'erences in the shape of the postocular spot, and 

 the boundary between the white of the lower surfaces and the black 

 of the upper surfaces. The dorsal mark is present in SchlegeFs tigure, 

 but is colored purple. 



Van Beneden's figure of a young individual is remarkable in that 

 the lower surfaces are bright yellow, instead of white. This appears 

 from other indications to be a character of immaturit}'. The post- 

 ocular mark is very large and has a serrated anterior margin. '' 



There appears to be no reasonable doubt that Liitken's tigure and 

 the Eastport photograph represent one and the same species, namel}-, 

 Oreinus area (Linnaeus), the t^'pe-species of the genus. It must 

 be confessed, however, that a comparison of measurements of vari- 

 ous North Atlantic specimens only leads to confusion. The different 

 specimens show no decided tendency to group themselves into 

 separate species, or to agree with one another in proportions. 

 Doubtless many of the discrepancies are due to faulty measurements 

 or differences in the methods of measuring, but ni}^ experience with 

 whalebone whales leads me to believe that this may not be taken for 

 granted. It is quite likely that there is a considerable amount of 

 individual variation in proportions among these animals, the extent 

 of which can not, however, be ascertained without the examination of 

 a much larger number of specimens than has been available hitherto. 

 The measurements above referred to, reduced in each case to per- 

 centages of the total length, are shown in the table on the following 

 page. 



While any opinion regarding the species of Oreinus can have little 

 weight at present, such data as are available appear to indicate that a 

 single species occupies the North and South Atlantic, a verj'^ distinct 

 form the South Pacific (coast of Chile, etc.), and possibly a third species 

 the North Paciffc. The Faroe species, generally known as O. tse/irichtu^ 

 appears to me to have but slight claims to recognition at present. 



"These two photographs illustrate in an admirable manner how erroi-s are likely to 

 arise from the examination of a single picture of this kind. From Plate Vf It it would 

 be imagined that the posterior end of the upper lip and a spot in front of the eye were 

 white and also that the white of the postocular spot joined that of the throat, but on 

 comparing Plate VII it is seen that these apparent extensions of the white are due 

 to reflections. 



''See also tlu- tigure published by Guldberg and Nansen in Bergens Mus. Skrift., 

 V, 1894, pi. V, tig. 2. 



