NO. 1163. NOMENCLATURE OF THE WHALEBONE WHALES— TRUE. 623 



Martens's description of the form, color, etc., of his finfish, and espe- 

 cially also of the whalebone, corresponds with the common finback, 

 usually known as Balamoptera musculiis. With the other three species 

 of finbacks known to frequent the waters of northwestern Europe it 

 shows less close agreement. In the present state of knowledge we 

 may, I think, on the basis of the color of the whalebone alone, decide 

 that Martens's description applies to the common finback. 



Martens states in his Beschreibung' that all the illustrations are 

 from sketches of his own from life. We may believe, therefore, that 

 his description and figure of the finfish are based on direct observation 

 of specimens. As above mentioned, it is somewhat singular that he 

 neither describes nor illustrates the throat furrows, which are so char- 

 acteristic of all finback whales. F. Cuvier accounts for this on the 

 ground that Martens did not regard the furrows as an essential char- 

 acter, but this seems hardly sufficient. It is x)ossible that the figure 

 was made by Martens from memory and not with the whale before him. 



"Balaena edentula, corpore strictiore, dorao pinnato, Raj. pise. 9" = RAY, Sjmopsis metho- 

 dica Fiscium, 1713, p. 9. 



Tlie description accompanying this polynominal is nothing more 

 than a Latin translation of Martens's account of the "Finfisch," some- 

 what abbreviated and paraphrased. It has in itself therefore no inde- 

 pendent value as a means of determining to what species Linnieus's 

 name Physalus is to be applied. Bay's species is simply Martens's 

 "Finfisch" under another name. 



" Wm. icht. 41 " = WILLOUGHBY, Historia Piscium, 1686, p. 41. 



On the page cited Willoughby merely quotes the first part of Eonde- 

 let's account of the Fhyseter, leaving out a few words here and there. 

 He adds a few critical remarks regarding the Physalus of Oppian and 

 the Pristis of Eondelet and Bellon, but nothing of the slightest service 

 in connection with the present inquiry. 



Willoughby appears to have known nothing of Martens's Beschrei- 

 bung. 



"Art. gen. 77" = ARTEDI, Genera Piscium, 1738, p. 77. 



Two species of whales are described by Artedi in the place cited. 

 The one referred to by Linuaius in the citation quoted above is No. 2 — 

 ^'■Bakenafistvla in medio capite, tubere xnnniformi in extremo dorso^ 



Artedi merely cites Ray and paraphrases and abbreviates his descrip- 

 tion, without giving any new information. Ray, as we have seen, cop- 

 ies Martens, and hence we have to fall back again on the latter author 

 in determining with what species Linnjcus's name is to be associated. 



"Art. Syn. 107"= ARTEDI, Synonymia Nominum Piscium, 1738, p 107. 



Under the heading '■'■Balwna fistula in medio capito, tubero pinni- 

 formi in extremo dorso,^^ Artedi cites Ray, pp. 9-10, as the principal 



1 Page 93. 



