10 CETACKA. 
narrow, elongate, linear, very gradually tapering, frmged on the 
imner edge with numerous fine, soft, flexible fibres of a nearly 
uniform length, consisting internally of a thin layer formed of 
several series of fibres, covered on each side by a thick coat of 
enamel. Throat and belly smooth, not plaited. Dorsal fin none. 
The seven cervical vertebre are soldered together, and some- 
times the first dorsal is equally soldered to the cervical.— Duver-_ 
noy in Cuvier, Anat. Comp. ed. 2. 1. 195. | 
They live in the ocean, but come into the shallow and shel- 
tered bays to bring forth their young. 
The foetus has no appearance of whalebone on the palate, and 
the lips are very large, and longly depending over the sides of the 
under jaw. ia 
Balena, sp. Linn.; Illiger, Prod. 142, 1811. 
Balena, Rafin. Anal. Nat. 61, 1815; Lacepéde. 
Baloena, Lesson, N. Tab. Reg. Anim. 202, _ 
Balena § a, Fischer, Syn. Mam. 521. 
“‘ The length, so is the breadth (of the baleen), a mere conse- 
quence of the extreme narrowness of the palate in the Mysticete 
compared to that im the Balena (Physalus) maximus.”—Knoz, — 
Cat. Whale, 29. 
Through the kindness of Messrs. Smith and Simmonds, and 
Mr. Smith of Messrs. W. Westall & Co., Whale-fin Merchants, 
I have been enabled to examine and compare numerous species — 
of the whalebone or baleen received from different countries, 
and to compare their peculiarities as exhibited during its prepa- 
ration. 
The fins or whalebones of each series together are called a 
“side of bone;” the largest are im the middle, from whence 
they gradually diminish away to nothing at each extremity: the 
largest fin on the side is called the ‘‘ sample blade.” sf 
They know in the trade three distinct kinds. 1. The Greenland, 
from Greenland, Davis’ Straits, and various parts of the North 
Sea, which is the best. 2. The South Sea, or Black fish whale- 
jin brought by the South Sea Whalers. And 3. The North-west 
~ Coast, or American whale-fin, which was first imported abou 
five years ago, and at first sold for a high price, but it has now 
fallen, and is considered as only a large kind of South Sea; but 
from the examination I have been able to make, I should believe’ 
that these three kinds are each produced by very different species 
of whales. { 
The three kinds are very different in shape. The outer edge 
of the Greenland is curved considerably ; in that of the North- 
west Coast it is much more straight, and in that of the South Sea 
almost quite straight. Figs. 3, 4 and 5, in Plate I. (of the Zoology 
