BALANOPTERA. 265 
in proportion to its size than that of any other rorqual or even 
right whale. 
SizE.—Up to 90 and possibly 
100 feet. 
There is a most interesting 
article on the great rorqual of 
the Indian Ocean by Mr. Blyth 
in the ‘Journal of the Asiatic 
Society for'i859, p. 481. He 
notices that the existence of great 
whales was known to and re- 
corded by the ancients. Near- 
chus, the commander of Alex- 
ander’s fleet, which sailed from 
the Indus to the Persian Gulf 
in B.C. 327, mentions having 
met with them, and that on the 
coast of Mekran the people con- 
structed houses of the bones ot 
stranded whales. In modern 
times an occasional one gets on 
shore, as was the case with one 
at Chittagong in 1842, another 
on the Arakan coast in 1851. In 
1858 one of go feet was stranded 
at Quilon on the west coast, as 
reported by the Rev. H. Baker 
of Aleppi, who also mentions 
that one, said to be 100 feet 
long, was cast ashore some years 
previously. He writes to Mr. 
Blyth: “Whales are very common 
on the coast. American ships, 
and occasionally a Swedish one, 
call at Cochin for stores during 
their cruises for them; but no 
English whalers ever come here 
that I have heard of.” 
I wonder at any whaling vessel 
coming out of their way after this 
species, for I have always heard 
from whalers that the finback is 
not worth hunting. It is possible that in cruising after sperms they may 
go a little out of their way to take a finback or two. However, to return 
Rorqual, 
