268 Mr A. H. Guerin on the Bock-Nose Whale. 



mer does not generally appear in the lat. QQ° to 69°, in any 

 considerable numbers, till the last fortnight of the same 

 montli, and often is seen there, as late as the 8th or 10th of 

 October. The state of the ice and weather, and the age of 

 the individual, have, as is generally believed, considerable in- 

 fluence over the period of emigration of whales in general. 



Having described the habits of these animals, which re- 

 main in large shoals in the bays and inlets of lat. 71° to 

 74°, I shall now proceed to shew that there is also a con- 

 siderable difference in shape between the Rock-nose and the 

 true Mysticetus. 



In pursuing this inquiry I experienced considerable diffi- 

 culty. It is of such importance to have the whale flenched 

 immediately after it has been towed alongside, that it is 

 almost impossible to allow time for actual measurement ; be- 

 sides,the men are generally tired, and require rest and refresh- 

 ment, so that none could be found to assist in measuring, an 

 operation which no one could possibly carry on by himself. 

 I shall, therefore, mention the diff"erences which struck my 

 eye, and which, upon inquiry, I found to be the general cha- 

 racters by which the Rock-nose is distinguished by the whaler. 



The most important point is the comparative size of the 

 head and body. A Rock-nose of 10 feet whalebone, is, taking 

 the extreme length of the animal, from 8 to 10 feet shorter 

 than a true Mysticetus having the same length of whale- 

 bone, as it seldom reaches above 40 or 42 feet. Of this ex- 

 treme length the head is always considerably more than a 

 third ; whilst, in the true Mysticetus, it is, as stated by 

 Scoresby, as 16 to 51, consequently less than the third. 



The whalebone is longer in comparison to the length of 

 the animal, but the laminse are thin for their length. 



The body is broader and terminates more abruptly. 



The tail seems equal in length and breadth to that of the 

 true Mysticetus of the same size. 



The colour of the skin is a dark velvet brown, and has 

 fewer white spots than that of the other species or variety. 



The Rock-nose yields less oil, compared to the length of 

 whalebone, than the true Mysticetus. 



The above comparison of the two animals induces me to 



