278 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIO. 
“On the northern coast [of North America] the Finbacks, in many instances, 
have a much larger fin than those in warmer latitudes, and I am fully satisfied that 
these are a distinct species, confined to the northern waters. . . . Several [Fin- 
backs| have been seen in May and June, on the coasts of California and Oregon, 
and in Fuca Strait in June and July of the present year [18687]; these observations 
satisfy me that the dorsal fin of this, the northern species referred to, is strikingly 
larger than in the more southern Finbacks. 
“ Appended is a sketch of one individual of several seen in Queen Charlotte 
Sound in February, 1865, which is a fair representation of them all. Those I have 
noticed about Fuca Strait seem to have the back fin modified in size between the 
extremely small [one] found on [the coast of] Lower California and the one here 
represented.” 
The figures (Nos. 9 and 10) accompanying the article are quite crude, and, while 
they represent a Finback whale fairly well, are unreliable for critical comparisons. 
For example, in figure 9, which represents the B. velifera of the coast of California, 
the height of the dorsal fin is about 7 % of the total length. If this were correct, it 
would indicate a species with an enormous fin as compared with 3. physalus of the 
North Atlantic, in which the height of the dorsal averages 2.3 % of the total length. 
In fig. 10, which represents the northern form oR, velifera, the dorsal is given 
the incr seca proportion of about 83 % of the total length. 
In these figures, furthermore, ie shape of the pectoral fins, flukes, and “small” 
(or caudal) peduncle is unnatural, judging from photographs taken from fresh 
specimens of Atlantic Finbacks. 
We hear no more of these Pacific Finbacks until Scammon published his great 
work on the Marine Mammals of the Northwestern Coast, in 1874. In this the de- 
scription of 1869 is repeated with practically no alteration, but with the addition of 
measurements of “a Balenoptera which came on shore near the outer heads of the 
Golden Gate” (82, 34). Unfortunately these measurements are of very little im- 
portance, except that the total length—60 feet—is given. Reduced to percentages 
of the total length, Scammon’s measurements, compared with the averages for 
Newfoundland specimens of BL. physalus, are as follows': 
BALAZNOPTERA PHYSALUS (L.) AND B. VELIFERA COPE. 
Measurement. Newfoundland. California. Bering Id. 
iotaldlen'gthicsset-rceiey-rtiss a ontrreae [average] 60 ft. 51.69 ft. 
% % & 
SMO WO) Q¥Eso cos caAososocodoos suc 20.4 20.8 2i7n38 
“ blowholessneteaeree cee 18.3 spate 4 BOG) 
~ Togs, DES Cit Gorse. soso ce 77.0 nae is 72.0 
Bieter re Gloss op Gocoscomugooor 2.4 Sete Daj 
IBIKSAGKein Gye thi, 556 poocobakoo00 bs 22.4 23.3 aoe 
Niotchl oft kesstonyemitsere yee oreneretel: 28.0 Bens 30.3 
‘Dr. L. Stejneger’s measurements of a Finback found on Bering Id. are also included here for 
convenience. Further reference to them will be made later. 
