THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIO, 41 
else of interest in the present connection. ‘The various editions of the Systema 
after the twelfth, published in German, Dutch, English, ete., contain no original 
American matter on cetaceans, and, except Gmelin’s (1788), no improvements as 
regards classification. : 
The earliest is Houttuyn’s Dutch translation (1762), which appears to have no 
original information. All the baleen whales remain together under the head of 
Balene. The Linnean species mysticetus, physalus, boops, and musculus, are de- 
scribed and commented on under their Latin names, after which occurs the “ Neiuw 
Engelandsche Penvisch” and the “ Knobbel Visch.” These are Dudley’s Hump- 
back and Serag whales, but our author obtains his knowledge of them through 
Brisson and Anderson. Farther on we come upon Acosta’s fable of the Indians 
killing whales by plugging their blowholes, which is inserted without comment or 
indication of its origin.’ 
The only American references in Boddaert’s edition (1772), are as follows: 
“Vinvisch” (a) with two blowholes, and a knob on the back. Lives in New Eng- 
land. “Knobbelvisch” (6) whale, with two blowholes and six knobs on the back. 
These are, of course, Dudley’s Humpback and Scrag whales.” 
In 1773 Miller published an annotated edition of the Systema, based on the 
twelfth edition and the work of Houttuyn. He has the four Linnean species of 
whalebone whales, all in the genus /alena, and adds three others (without Latin 
names) which he found in later authors. Two of these are Dudley’s Humpback 
and Scrag whales, under the names of “ Pflockfish ” and “ Knotenfish,” which Miller 
doubtless knew only indirectly through Anderson, or some other writer.’ 
Gmelin’s edition of 1788, or the thirteenth Latin edition, is considerably fuller 
than the tenth or twelfth, but contains only one added species of whalebone whale, 
—Balena gibbosa. This is made up of Dudley’s Scrag whale and Humpback 
combined, though all the references are at second hand. The two forms are 
designated as a. and 0., but not named as varieties. It is an interesting question 
whether the name gibbosa can be applied to the Humpback. Another nominal 
species included with the baleen whales is the Lalwna rostrata of Miller’s Prodro- 
mus. This is, however, probably the Hyperoddon“ The Nordcaper is included 
as “6,” under Lalena mysticetus, but without a Latin varietal name; and Egede, 
Anderson, and Cranz are quoted in the synonymy.°® 
In 1800 William Turton published an English translation of the Systema from 
Gmelin’s edition of 1788. Only two baleen whales have American habitats assigned 
to them, B. physalus (“ Fin-fish”), which inhabits “the American and European 
seas”; and L. gibbosa. This latter is called “Hump whale” by Turton and 
is said to inhabit the “coasts of New England.” It is made by uniting Dudley’s 
*Hourtuyn, F., Natuurlyke Historie volgens Linnzus, 1, pt. 3, 1762, pp. 441-500. 
*BopDAERT, P., Kortbegrip van het zamenstel der Natuur, van den Heer C. Linneus, 1, pt. 1, 
1772; P- 93- 
*MUuier, P. L. S., Des Ritters Carl von Linné vollstandiges Natursystem, 1, 1773, 
P- 493. 
“See Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 21, 1898, p. 633. 
* GEL, J. F., Systema Nature, 13th ed., Leipzig, 1, 1788, pp. 223-226. 
