128 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 
Some individuals, however, have a few white plates on the left side, in addition to 
the large series on the right side. 
In a whale 55 ft. 2 in. long (No. 1), the length of the white portion of the right 
whalebone series was 4 ft. 1 in., and comprised 166 plates. In No. 2, which was 
64 ft. 8 in. long, the white area had a length of about 6 ft. and comprised about 
200 plates. In No. 4, 2, 61 ft. 10 in., the white whalebone area was 4 £t,.'2 in: 
long. No. 7, 2, 50 ft. 7 in. long, had 270 anterior white plates on the right side. 
No. 10, ¢, 53 ft. 9 in. long, had about one half the right whalebone, or about 210 
plates, white. Only a small number of the most anterior plates in this individual 
were entirely white, the other anterior ones being white externally, but gray 
internally. 
From the foregoing figures it will be evident that the extent of the white 
portion of the whalebone is not always the same, nor is it proportional to the 
length of the individual. (See also pl. 12, fig. 6.) 
The streaked whalebone shows the most extraordinary variety as regards the 
width and number of light and dark streaks. As a rule, however, the dark streaks 
prevail more and more toward the posterior end of the series, and the plates here 
are commonly quite uniform dark gray. The darkest color is on the exterior edge. 
The matted surface of bristles appears whitish when looked at in the direction of 
the roof of the mouth, with a rather broad margin of dull brown where the whale- 
bone plates are dark externally. The width of the throat is about 7 inches. The 
plates of whalebone are reduced to nothing posteriorly, the short, matted bristles 
being attached directly to the integuments of the mouth, the curly masses of the 
two sides approaching each other posteriorly within 5 inches. (See pl. 11, fig. 6; 
pl. 12, figs. 38 and 4.) 
The length of the longest whalebone in various European and American speci- 
mens is given in the following table: 
BALAANOPTERA PHYSALUS (L.). AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN. LENGTH OF WHALEBONE. 
Locality. Length of Whale. Sex. Tenet abr eee’ Author. 
fits) ins in 
Crouch R., England 46 64 2 22° Crouch 
Pevensey Bay, “ 65) 3; ts) 23h Flower 
Portsmouth, “ xe) 3 21° oe 
Gravesend, “ 60 0 | 4 30° Murie 
Wick, Scotland 65 or 66 o } 2r° Struthers 
Stornoway, Scotland 60 6 } 30° sf 
Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland 70 «68 2 24° 18, Wavy As 
“e “ee “ oe 2 6 
“c “ec “ ce a : i ae 5 . 
“e ee “ce ‘ é d 5 23:5 , “ec 
2 21.5 
“cs “ec oe “ee 61 Io 2 20° “ 
“ee “ “e . 55 2 3 20° 73 
“ “ “ “ yt 6 S 17.5° t 
* Straight. * Whether includes bristles not stated. * Including the hairy ends. 
* Exclusive of bristles. ° From the surface of the gums and exclusive of the bristles. 
