THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 289 



to the former the baleen is "light yellow," while Scammon gives the color as 

 "light brown." Van Beneden states that the baleen in the Vienna nmseuin is pale 

 in color like tliat of B. acuto-roHtrata. Dall's sketch, according to Cope, showed 

 the pectoral I'ouuded at the tip, while Scammon states that it is pointed. Pechuel 

 (73, 1186) described the coloi' of this whale as vaiiegated gray, — remarking that 

 " many are entirely l)lotched ; individuals entirely dark-colored are rarely seen." 

 Pechuel's figure is very diffei'ent from Scammon's, having a much rounder and 

 thicker head, and no ii'regularities on the median line of the back, and no fuirows 

 on the throat. It is rather a crude figure, though interesting in many jjarticulars. 



Townsend's figure of a foetal specimen 17 ft. long, published in 1886 {90) 

 shows a distinct crest on the back, extending from the flukes nearly half-way to 

 the head. The free marsjin is irreo^ular in outline. Townsend remarks ivcrardiiM"- 

 it: "The young Rhachianectes Just before birth has a naiTow, irregular longitudi- 

 nal ridge along the posterior part of the back, which I did not observe in the 

 adult. It extends from about opposite the vent to the flukes and is interrupted in 

 many places. This ridge pi-obably corresponds to the series of transverse ridges 

 along the back of the adult as described by Scammon." 



It is somewhat I'emarkable that the ridge was not seen in the adult. It is 

 interesting to note that the Japanese, who appear to know this whale under the 

 name of Kohujira, recognize two forms, one of which has the crenate ridge on the 

 back, while the other has uot.^ Scammon's statement that the ridges are trans- 

 verse is extremely interesting, and this character deserves further investigation, as it 

 is quite unlike anything found in other whales. 



The two characteristic throat furrows are shown in Townsend's figure. 



SIZE. 



Dall calculated the length of the two specimens examined by him at Monterey at 

 51 ft. and 48 ft. respectively; the latter a male. Scammon gave the length of the 

 females as from 40 to 44 ft., but remarked that the latter would be considered large ; 

 for the males he places the average at 35 ft., but states that they vary moi-e in size 

 than the females. In 1873, he gave measurements of a male 42 ft. long and stated 

 that four other individuals were measured, ranging from 35 to 40 ft. A young 

 male measured by Pechuel was 32 ft. long. Townsend in 1886 (90) published, as 

 already mentioned, a figure of a foetal specimen 17 ft. long, from a female " nearly 

 40 feet lono-." It would seem that one or the other of these measurements must be 

 incorrect. The dimensions of different specimens are given by Scammon, Dall, and 

 Pechuel, as follows : 



' See MoBius, Ueber den Fang und die Verwerthung der Walfische in Japan. Beilage zu den 

 Mitth. Sekt. Kiisten- ujid Hoc/isee-Fisc/ierei, No. 7, July, 1894. 



