THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 263 
Nordhvalen, published in conjunction with Prof. Reinhardt in 1861, he men. 
tions the “ Nordeaper ” as “probably the same species as that from the coasts of 
Nantucket and New England which the Anglo-Americans already call ‘ Right 
whale.’ ”? 
The question was: first forced on the attention of cetologists in 1865, when 
Cope published the description of his L. césarctica (22, 168). Cope did not examine 
the San Sebastian skeleton on which LB. biscayensis was based, but remarks regard- 
ing his B. cisarctica as follows: “This species may readily occur on the European 
coasts, and is, no doubt, allied to, or the same as, the species pursued by the 
Biscay whalers, which Eschricht says is related to the australis. This does not 
appear to have been described, though catalogued without reference by Gray and 
Flower under the name of déscayensis (22, 169).” It is stated by Cope, however, 
that he did study the skeleton of B. australis in the Jardin des Plantes, and that 
his species is “strongly separated ” from that form. 
Van Beneden in 1867 quotes Cope’s opinion as to the probable identity of the 
B. cisarctica with the Biscay whale, and remarks that Cope holds this view “avec 
beaucoup de raison.” He also adds: “It is then from America that we should hear 
the facts regarding the history of this animal which during centuries visited our 
[| European] coasts, and which has contributed largely to the prosperity of our 
hardy neighbors of the North [the Dutch, ete.]” (3, sep. 8). 
In his memoir on the Taranto whale, Gasco remarks in 1878: “ Although so 
brief, the summary reported by Prof. Cope on the whale captured opposite Phila- 
delphia in 1862 leaves no doubt as to the determination of the Taranto whale. 
They are counterparts (sorele); both belong to Balena biscayensis Eschricht ” 
(47). The same statement is repeated in the Comptes Rendus Acad. Paris, 87, 
1887, p. 410. He also states that he compared a replica of a cast of the earbone of 
the type of B. cisarctica belonging to the Civic Museum of Milan with that of the 
Taranto whale and found that they were identical (47, 25). 
In 1879, Gasco published a description of the type of “B. biscayensis.” He 
appears to take for granted the identity of that species with 5. cisarctica, and in 
the course of his article, quotes a conversation with Cope, whom he met in Paris. 
Cope is reported as saying that the Philadelphia whale (type of B. cisarctica) 
exactly resembles that of Tarento (“B. biscayensis”) (48, 581, footnote 2). 
The Ostéographie of Van Beneden and Gervais, which bears the date of 1880, 
does not contain as much original matter regarding the Atlantic Right whale as is 
the case with other species. The authors state that they examined neither the 
type of “B. biscayensis” nor that of B. cisarctica, but that they “do not doubt” 
that the two species are identical (8, 103). Later in the same work they remark : 
“This whale [B. césarctica] is no other than the Balena biscayensis” (8, 236). 
In 1883, Holder summed up the opinions regarding the affinities of B. dis. 
cayensis and B. cisarctica (61, 117). He includes the opinions of most of the 
authors above cited and adds some independent testimony. Among these addi- 
* Page 469. 
