CETACEA. 71 



like minute laminas or scales, and which may be seen by the aid of a 

 microscope to invest the free bristles at the fringed extremity of the 

 plate. We have often observed the facility with which some baleen 

 can be split up, and were struck with the fact that the baleen of 

 Balcena maximus would not split. The removal of the external 

 lamina in the plate under description shows the cause of this : about 

 G| inches from the root of the plate, many of the bristles have 

 deviated from their direct parallel inclination, and become intimately 

 twisted and interwoven -with each other. It has been attempted to 

 prove the age of the Mliale from an examination of the baleen, in the 

 same manner as we judge of the age of cattle by certain aniuilated 

 markings on the horns. On the plate before us we can chstinctly 

 perceive numerous transverse lines crossing the coui-se of the bristles 

 at right angles. If these transverse lines indicate a periodical check 

 to the growth of the baleen, then the age of the Bakena maximus 

 would be 800 to 'JOO years old, that being the number of transverse 

 lines on the longest plate of baleen. — Knox, Cat. Prep. Whale, 9. 



The baleen of the Balance is alone designated Whalebone (or rather 

 Whale-fin, as it is usually called) in commerce. The baleen of the 

 other genera of this family is called Finner-fin or Humpback-fin. 

 The wholesale dealers in baleen, in the ' London Directory,' are 

 called Whale-fin Merchants, and whalebone occurs under the name 

 of Whale-fin in the ' Price-current.' In the ' London New Price- 

 current' for 1843, the South Sea Whale-fin varied during that year 

 from 200/. to 305?. per ton ; and there is no price named for Green- 

 land Whale-fin. (See Maccull. Comm. Diet. i. 1344.) 



The baleen was formerly tliought to be the tail of the animal. 

 (See Blackstone, Comment, i. 233, quoted by MaccuUoch, Comm. 

 Diet. i. 1344.) 



The skulls of the different genera differ considerably in external 

 form, from being nearly as wide as the lower jaw, as in Sihbaldhis, 

 to being very narrow so as only to foim a narrow central arch, as 

 in Balcena. The genera may be thus arranged according to the 

 width of the skull : — 1. Sibbalclius ; 2. Balcenojitera ; 3. Megaptera ; 

 4. Phi/salus; 5. Eubalcena ; Q. Bcdcena. 



The Avidth chiefly depends on the lateral expansion of the maxilla. 

 In Balcena it is band-like ; and in Sibbahlius very broad, being more 

 than twice as wide as the intermaxillary bones. 



The food of the "Whale is stiU a much-disputed point. It is now 

 generally admitted that the 3I)/sticetus lives only on small Medusae, 

 shrimps, itc, but that the other species of Whalebone Whale devoiir 

 inconceivable quantities of fish ; for instance, M. Desmouhns states 

 that " 600 f/reat vo<l and an immensity (probably as many thousand) 

 of pUchards have been found in the stomach of a single liorcjual." 



Mr. F.J. Knox, in dissecting thcBalcena 9««.r/»i!(s, which is aliorqual, 

 saw no cavity in the course of the viscera which could have contained 

 six cod of ordinary size: that of 7?. minimus -^ as empty, although 

 the Firth of Forth, particularly at and above Queensfeny, abounds 

 at all seasons with herrings and other fishes and their iiy. The want 

 of teeth by no means renders it impossible that the Balcena with 



