90 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



5. Bal^noptera velifera Cope. 1869. 



" The Fiuuer Whale of the Oi-egon Coasts." 



Original deacripHon : Proceedings, Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila., 1869, 

 p. 16. Presented for publication March 9, 1869; published July 20, 1869. 



Type-localitii : Oregon Coasts. No type. Described from Scammon's obser- 

 vations and sketches. A northern and a southern form mentioned, but not de- 

 scribed, or named. 



The original desciiptiou is as follows : 



" The Finner Whale of the Oregon coasts. 



"This species diffei'S from all that have been described in that respect, in the 

 color of the baleen ; from the B. arctica of the Japanese Seas, the coloration of the 

 body separates it ; in the latter the sides ai'e spotted black and white, in the pres- 

 ent shaded fi'oni the brown of the uppei' to the white of the lower surfaces. The 

 large size of the doi'sal lin and its aiitei'ior position are marked characters; the 

 northern species, with larger fin, is still more different from the JB. arctica, the only 

 one with which it would he probably identical. 



"The more southern form, with very small fin, may be another species — pos- 

 sibly a Sibbaldivfi. The J^. velifera cannot, unfortunately, be compared with the 

 £. swinJioei and I>. pafac/tonica, as no similar jiarts are figui'ed or desciibed. 



"The l)aleen, says Capt. Scammon, is of a light lead color, streaked with black, 

 and its suiface is marked with transverse i-oughening. In the B.p>hysalus the 

 whalebone is, according to Gi'ay, slate-coloi'ed on the inner side, white streaked; on 

 the outer side nearly black, and with still darker streaks. In the H. rostrata it is 

 nearly all white, with some black at the base." (83, 16.) 



In the list of cetacea by Mr. Wra. H. Dall, which is appended to Scammon's 

 work (88, 303), it is stated that baleen of JR. velifera is in the museum of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. I I'egret that I am unable to find any such specimens, or 

 I'ecord of their receipt, though there are many specimens of whalebone of other 

 species, received from Scammon. 



6. SiBBALDIUS SULFURETJS Cope. 1869. 



"The Sulphui'bottom of the Northwest Coast." 



Original descj'iption : Proceedings, Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila., 1869, 

 p. 20. Presented for publication March 9, 1869; published July 20, 1869. 

 No type. Desci'ibed from data furnished by Scammon, as follows: 



" The Sul[)hur-Bottom of the Noith AVest Coast. This immense whale is as yet 

 too insuificiently known to be distinguished as fully as desirable, but the mai'ked 

 peculiarity of coloration separates it from the only species with which a comparison 

 is necessary- — the S. horealis or gigas of the North Atlantic. Capt. Scammon de- 

 scribes it to be gray or brown above, })alei' than in BahenopAera velifera, and be- 

 neath, a sulphur yellow. Length from 70 to 90 feet. The colors of the 8. horealis 

 are described as polished black above, milky white beneath, by Dubar." 



