164 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NOKTH ATLANTIC. 



and elsewhere ia the description makes it probable that the Longniddiy whale was 

 not in a fresh condition when observed by Turner, but otherwise the sentence 

 quoted would appear to indicate that the dorsal was colored somewhat similarly to 

 that of the Newfoundland specimens. 



INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN COLOR. 



The following notes on the coloration of individual specimens were made by 

 me immediately upon their being drawn out of the water. In most cases the whale 

 had been brought in by the steamer a few hours previously, but occasionally one 

 was brought in late at uiglit and was not drawn out on the slip and examined until 

 the following morning : 



No. 1. Female. June 20, 1901. Total length, 72 feet. This whale was partly 

 flensed when I examined it. Gray all over, and everywhere spotted except on 

 the head, chin, throat, and bi'east. The spots on the sides and back are light 

 gray, elliptical, with irregular margins ; those on the belly smaller and nearly pure 

 white. Tlie dorsal fin has a light-gray, almost white, ground, with sinuous gray 

 streaks running vertically, heaviest and darkest toward the tip, which is solid 

 dark gray. Roof of mouth black ; tongue slate gray. Left pectoral white under- 

 neath and on the anterior edge, with a few oblique sti-eaks and rows of blackish 

 spots. Externally the pectoral is white at the tip for about one foot, with narrow 

 gray streaks running from the general gray color at the proximal end. Under 

 surface of flukes, proximally, uniform gray. 



No. 2. Male. June 20, 1901. Length, 71 feet. Head dark slate-color from 

 opposite the base of the pectoral fin forward. The whole back gray, with large, 

 irregular, elliptical light spots as far backward as a Hue midway between the dorsal 

 fins and flukes, beyond which the spots are less numerous. Whitish along the 

 base of the dorsal fin. On the abdominal ridges the amount of light and dark 

 gray is about equally divided. The spots are smaller and whiter on the belly than 

 on the flanks and back. The elliptical spots do not begin on the throat until about 

 half-way from the snout to the pectoral fin. The majority are opposite the pecto- 

 rals. From the posterior end of the abdominal lidges the spots of the sides come 

 down and meet in the median line between the navel and the oi'itice of the penis. 

 From the ear to the insertion of the pectoi-al fin, and again from the tip of that fin 

 for a distance backward about equal to its length, tlie spots coalesce to form 

 two large areas almost entirely light gray. The anterior portion of the under 

 sui'face of the flukes jjroximally is streaked with light color. Anterior margin and 

 whole underside of pectorals white ; tip white externally for about two feet, and 

 the whitish color extends backwaixl along the lower external border nearly to the 

 root of the fin. On the exterior of the left pectoral the white patches extend well 

 beyond the base, and the white of the tip extends far toward the base, so that only 

 the central area is uniform gray. An indefinite light line extends forward from the 

 pectoral to the posterior angle of the eye and to the corner of the mouth. (See pi. 

 13, fig. 1.) 



