THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NOKTH ATLANTIC. 301 



" Color bluish black above, with oblong light colored spots ; the underside as 

 far as the genitalia more or less white. The whole of the tail, with the flukes and 

 the flippers on both sides, is exactly similar to the back ia coloi-." 



Whalebone plates, black ; bristles, white. 



Rosti-uni of the skull elongated and triangular with straight sides, as in B. 

 physalus. Orbit very large. Nasals ol)Iong and ti-uncated antei'ioi-ly. Coronoid 

 process of mandible low. Vertebral formula: C. 7, D. 14 (-13), L. U (-15), 

 Ca. 20 (-21). Total, 55 (-56). 



Bal^noptera acuto-rostrata Lac^pede. 

 Little Piked whale, or Lesser Finner. Plate 49, fig 1. 



Form heavy, size small. Head narrow and pointed. Abdominal lidges 

 numerous and narrow. 



Average total length, 26 feet (?) ; maximum, 30 feet. 



Pectorals, fiom axilla, 12.5 per cent, of total length, lanceolate, pointed. Dor- 

 sal fin large; its height about 5 per cent, of the total length; situated just in 

 advance of the line of the anus. 



Color of the body dai'k brownish gray above, white below, the two colors 

 joining rather abruptly on the flanks ; inferior margin of caudal peduncle white. 

 Mandible dark gray. Dorsal fin dark like the back. Pectoral fins above with the 

 middle thii'd white, and tip and base dark gray ; below similar, but with more 

 white. Flukes gray above, white below. More or less gray mottling on the white 

 abdominal ridges (?). 



Whalebone all yellowish white. 



Rostrum of cranium triangular, pointed, with straight sides. Orbital process 

 of frontal large and oblong; orbit very large. Nasals large and triangular, the 

 apex directed backward, the anterior free margin transverse or slightly convex. 

 Vertebral formula: C. 7, D. 11, L. 12 (-13), Ca. 18 (-20). Total, 48 (-50). 



