1. BAL.'ENA. 81 



with a broader articulating surface (see Eschr. & Kciuh. oj). (it. t. 2. 

 f. 1-3). 



" The number of vcrtebrfe 54. Pairs of ribs 13. Head more than 

 one-third the total length of the body. Nasal bones long and nar- 

 row ; orbital processes of frontals much elongated, sloping backwards, 

 and very little dilated at their extremity. Cervical vertebra3 all 

 anchylosed. Baleen-plates very long, and narrow at the base." — 

 Flotver, P. Z. S. 1864, 390. 



There seems to be some variety in the union of the cervical ver- 

 tebra?. According to Eschricht the B. Mi/sticetus has the first five 

 cervical vertebroe united, and the sixth and seventh free. Mr. Elower 

 (Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G4, 391) describes this as the character oi Eu- 

 halcena, and gives the cervical vertebroe all anchylosed together as 

 the character of Balceua (p. 390). The specimen I have examined 

 agrees with Mr. Flower's description. 



1. BalsBna Mysticetus. The Right Whale. 



Head depressed. There are two series of tubercles on each side 

 of the lower lip ; and, according to Scoresby's figure, the head is two- 

 sevenths, the fins one-thii'd, the vent two-thirds, and the sexual 

 organs four-sevenths from the nose. 



Females larger than the males. 



The nose of the skull is regularly and gradually arched above, 

 rather wide behind, near the blowhole ; the nose and the inter- 

 maxillary bones regidaidy taper in front. The hinder end of the 

 jaw-bones is obliquely produced behind, and the frontal bones are 

 narrow, nearly linear, and oblique ; temporal bone narrow, oblique. 



The baleen is very long, varj'ing from 9 to 12 feet, linear, taper- 

 ing very gradually, of nearly the same moderate thickness from end 

 to end, and covered with a polished grey or greenish-black enamel. 

 The internal fibres occupy a small part of the substance, arc parallel, 

 of a fine unifonn texture, and black. The enamel, which forms by 

 far the greater part of the substance, is generally blackish ; but some- 

 times, especially on the inner side of the " fin," it is paler in longi- 

 tudinal stripes. The fibres on the edge, lilie the internal fibres of 

 which they are a continuation, are very fine and black. The "fins" 

 or pieces of baleen are fiat, or as the merchant calls them " kindly," 

 so that they produce straight pieces fit for the better kind of parasols 

 and umbrellas, &c., when cut into strips. 



Balfena Mysticetus arctica, Schleqel, Ahhandl. 36. 



Bala^na Mysticetus, Limi. S. N. i. 105 ; GmeUn, S. N. i. 223 ; MiiUer, 



Zool. Dan. 6 ; Erxl. Si/st. 601 ; O. Fahr. F. G. 32 ; Schreb. Sdiajeth. 



t. 322 ; Cuv. Reg. Anrm. i. 285, ed. 2. i. 296 ; Oss. Foss. v. 301. t. 25. 



f. 9, 11 (adult sliuU, £. M.), t. 26. f. 25 ; Lesson, (Euvr. Bufun, i. 294. 



1. 11 ; Desm. 3famm. 527, 798; Diet. Class. H. N. ii. 160; Camper, 



Cetac. t. 4, 5, 6 ( skull of j'oung) ; Fischer, St/n. 521 ; Volfonann, Anat. 



Anim. Tab. 1831, t. 9. f. 5 (skull, fa-tus?) ; Bell, B. Quad. 514, fig. ; 



Nilsson, Skand. Fauna, 642; Turton,B. Farnui, 15; Fleming, B. A. 



33 ; Je7iym, Man. 46 ; Gray, Zool. Erehis ^- Terror, 15, 47. t. 1. f. 4 



(baleen) ; Cat. Mamm. B. M. 104 ; Cat. Cetac. B. M. 1850, 12 ; Proc. 



Zool. Soc. 1864, 200 ; Lilljeborg, Ofvers. 107. 



