126 



ON A FEMALE SPECIMEN OF THE COMMON RORQUAL 



have a good inspection and take some measurements. A few days 

 later Mr. E. A. Fitch, who had examined and identified it on 

 the Friday, made further measurements and notes, and I am 

 indebted to him for thus enabhng me to prepare a measured drawing 

 of this Rorqual in illustration of these notes. The original scale is 

 j-inch = I foot ; and as the drawing has been reduced one-half in 

 length, the scale of the accompanying illustration is g inch=i foot. 



Two photographs were taken by Mr. A. H. Willott, of Maldon, 

 showing the dead whale on the side of the sea wall, but in these the 

 animal is very much foreshortened. 



The following are the chief measurements : — 



The general colour of the upper portion, the dorsal fin, the band 

 of the lower jaw on the left side and the sides of this Rorqual were 

 blackish-slate ; and the under part white nearly to the tail. The 

 underside of the pectoral fins and flukes were white, showing also 

 a margin of white on the upper surface. 



The baleen, the blades of which numbered about 350 on each 

 side, are delicate slate-colour, mottled with lighter streaks, with the 

 exception of about two feet (part of the row measuring 8ft. 6in.) in 

 front on the right side which are whitish or drab-white. 



It is a well-known fact that the colour of the skin of whales 



