THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 83 
If the bones had ever been got together and sent to Philadelphia, it would 
seem very probable that Dr. Taliaferro would have mentioned the fact. On the 
other hand, it is extremely difficult to understand how Professor Cope could give the 
detailed measurements and description of the skeleton, as published by him in 1866, 
unless he had had access to the specimen. They could, of course, have been fur- 
nished him by Dr. Taliaferro, but their character is such as to render this very 
improbable. In 1869 Professor Cope compared this whale with his & tectérostris 
by external characters only, which characters he stated in 1866 were drawn up and 
furnished him by Dr. Taliaferro. He then remarked that as the specimen had not 
reached the Philadelphia museum, further comparison could not be made at that 
time (1869). It is certainly remarkable that Cope does not refer here to his detailed 
measurements and description of the skeleton, published in 1866. He could not 
have forgotten their publication, and one is, therefore, led to believe that there was 
something about them that barred them out. The only supposition which seems 
reasonable is that they were not really from the Mobjack Bay whale, but from some 
other specimen. 
Considering the uncertainty regarding the skeleton, it may be best for the 
present purposes to rely entirely on the statements as to the external characters in 
our endeavor to ascertain the identity of S. tuberosus. Dr. Taliaferro’s notes on the 
coloration, etc., published by Cope in 1866 (23, 8), furnish the following characters 
and measurements: Head acute. Pectoral ridges many and ecapacious. Dorsal fin 
represented by “a conical mass covered with horny integument, without any mem- 
branous appendage, situated well posteriorly.” Body near tail very slender. 
enctheirommendkonmizz7levover convexity on backwaacreeeeemiaseeccncee en iericeiee 43 ft. 9 in. 
Length from end of muzzle to axilla (external measurement)...............0.--.000. ng  @ 
Breadthvor headvacrossimferionmancin’ of jawsisecieicteieisee oeieiiosoeeiceeaieeien Larges Siceoun: 
LEW) Of PIACHGgo acbeboooaoSUBOnOnesEGe 6500 soc donue Gobo DON Bude bb OD oaane ASO 
Greatestioncadthvoted ore rrearaa) terrae cine dte: ste tebermeke sere eisieeeleie lolenrieee e Tee 
IBReaKaktay OF hehe. 5 oaaamop GoGo ooD one bop codoOL boOcascon Gabe hode coeaoeseade cum TO} Oe 
Color “jet black above, white on the belly; sides beautifully marbled by the 
combination of the two colors.” 
“There were 360 laminz of baleen, the longest about 18 to 20 inches.” 
In Dr. Taliaferro’s story, as narrated by “ Reynard” in the American Field in 
1889, the color is thus referred to: 
“For a half second that mighty fish, with back arched and immense fins quiver- 
ing straight out from its side, was hung in mid-air not fifteen feet from me. I 
caught sight of him on the gleaming white of his side, just under his flipper, and 
fired. : 
“As [ said before, his immense flippers were quivering straight out from him, 
and there was a line of demarkation down his side where the gleaming white of his 
belly joined his marbled, grayish black back, . . . 
“When I thought he ought to be aground, the first thing I saw was his white 
belly turned up.” 
