MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 1 3 



1897. Balcefioptera physalus True, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, 

 No. 1 163, p. 633. 



Type locality. — Spitzbergen (Marten's " Finfisch "). 



Faunal distributioyu — The common large whale of the Atlantic Ocean and 

 the one most frequently stranded upon our coasts. 



Distribution in Pa. and N.J. — Occasional along the coast of N. J., some- 

 times entering bays. 



Habits, etc. — Dr. True writes me that this is " a migratory animal and the 

 specimens stranded are probably from passing schools." No doubt these 

 stranded animals on our New Jersey coast have been often crippled far at sea 

 by collision with passing vessels. The food of this species is chiefly fish, 

 herring and smelts being a favorite sort. It grows 60 to 70 feet long. 

 Species oi Balcenoptera are said to be able to stay under water 8 to 12 hours. 

 They are inoffensive when attacked. No doubt some of the stranded speci- 

 mens have been lured into shallow water on the New Jersey coast by the 

 schools of " moss bunkers." 



Records in Fa. and N.J. — A jaw, apparently of this species, was found by 

 me on the beach near Beach Haven, N. J., about 1885. — Rhoads. Mr. True 

 informs me that a specimen from Delaware Bay was stranded near Fenwick's 

 Island Life Saving Station, Delaware, May 2, 1896. 



Great Blue Whale. Balcenoptera ?fiusculus (Linnaeus). 



1758. Balcena musculus Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, p. 76. 



1898. Balcenoptera musculus True, Proceedings United States National 

 Museum, No. 11 63, p. 633. 



Type locality. — Firth of Forth, Scotland (Sibbald's spec). 



Faunal distribution. — North Atlantic Ocean southward to shores of Eng- 

 land and New Jersey ; a larger and more northerly ranging species than the 

 common Finback. 



Distribution in Fa. and N.J. — Occasionally noted on the N. J. coast. 



Habits, etc. — This, said to be the greatest of all animals living or extinct, is 

 much larger than any other species of whale. The " sulphur-bottom " form 

 found in the Pacific has been taken nearly 100 feet long. They can swim at 

 the rate of 1 2 miles an hour. Their food is mainly derived from schools of 

 the smaller-sized fish. 



Records in N. J. — Cape May Co., Ocean City. A large specimen was 

 stranded October i, 1891. Its skeleton (No. 5316, A. N. S. Catalog.) is 

 in the museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. It was 

 measured in the flesh by Messrs. J. E. Ives and F. W. True, and found to 

 be 67 feet long. Prof. E. D. Cope describes it at length in Proc. A. N. Sci., 

 1891, p. 474. 



