118 



THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



BALJENOPTEEA PHYSALUS (L.)- EUROPE.— (ConfmnctJ.) 



Leaving out of cousideratioii all imiuature specimens, or those below 56' 3", 

 the following represent the average percentages for different dimensions in American 

 and European specimens respectively : 



BAL^SOPTERA PHYSALUS (L.). AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN. 



Measurement. 



Tip of snout to eye 



" " blowholes (center) 



" " posterior root of pectoral, or axilla 

 " " to posterior margin of dorsal 



Length of pectoral from head of humerus 



Breadth of pectoral 



Height of dorsal (vertical). . 



Breadth of flukes, tip to tip 



Per Cent, of Total Length. 



' Straight. - French measure. " To center of blowhole = i8.l!f. 



* The head measurements appear to have been taken from the plate, in which the head is too small. 



^ I suspect that measurements are from the plate {.Veil. Ncderl. J'fr/iatid!., i cl., 3, 1831, pi. i). The eye is 

 obviously too far forward. ' To axilla = 33.5 %. ' From figure. * From tip of lower jaw. 



' To middle of fin. '" From head of humerus. " Probably from the plate. The pectoral is too small. 



" Back of pectorals. " At | the distance from back of dorsal to notch of flukes. 



"The anterior insertion of the dorsal (in in a foetus from Newfoundland (No. 14, 1901) is exactly opposite the 

 posterior end of the centrum of the first caudal vertebra. 



'° More or less uncertain, as the measurements in two or three cases are not given with exactness. 



