290 



THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



RHACllIANECTES GLAVCUS COPE. CALIFORNIA. 



Measurement. 



Total length 



Snout to blowholes 



" " corner of mouth 



" " eye 



" " pectorals 



Notch of flukes to anus 



" " " " genital orifice 



Length of pectorals 



Width " " 



" " flukes 



Circumference at point of pectorals 



Distance from pectorals to top of back - 



" corner of mouth to top of head 



Length of blowholes 



Antero-posterior breadth of flukes 



Thickness of each lobe of flukes 



Depth of caudal peduncle at junction with flukes. 



Lower jaw extends beyond the upper 



Length of genital slit 



From genital slit to Ime of pectorals 



" line of pectorals to end of mandible 



Length of exterior canthus of mouth 



" from eye to margin of canthus 



Width of mouth at canthus 



Longest baleen 



Width of largest baleen 



Length of largest bristles of baleen 



These measurements are so little in accord that new observations are very 

 much to be desired. 



WHALEBONE. 



The larger poi'tiou of the whalebone of one side of the mouth, from a speci- 

 men taken at San Luis Obispo, Cal. (No. 23306, U. S. N. M.) was sent to the National 

 Museum by Mr. C. H. Townsend. This whalebone is entirely yellowish-white, 

 both blades and bristles, except at one end of the series. Here for a distance of 

 al)out 8 inches the blades and bristles are dull chocolate-brown. The end-blades 

 are entirely brown, the next have some white on the inner side, then follow a 

 number brown on the outer edge only, and finally all white, like the majority of 

 the series. The blades are very thick on the outer margin, with a rounded edge. 

 The largest plates measure 18 in. in length without the bristles, and 6 in. at the 

 base. The longest bristles measure 9^ in., and were perhaps originally a little 

 longer. 



OSTEOLOGICAL CHARACTERS. 



The skeleton of JchacManectes has been described in more or less detail by 

 Dall {26, 226-227), Van Beneden (5), Malm {67) and Beddard {2, 168). 



There is a skull in the National Museum (No. 13803) which Mr. Dall obtained 



' From end of mandible. 



From length of mouth. 



From chin to eye. 



