THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 285 
“Dorsal fin small, conic, situated on the posterior fourth of the back. Form 
slender ; length 70 to 90 feet. Color, above, gray or brown ; below, sulphur yellow.” 
The whalebone is described as follows : 
“Baleen black everywhere. Bristles intermediate in size between those of 
Sibbaldius tectirostris Cope (finer), and Megaptera osphyia (coarser), in 6 or 8 rows, 
and 7 or 8 inches in length. Length of plate, without bristles, 2 ft. 8 inches; 
width of base 18 inches. Laminz with weak transverse rugosities” (29, 108). 
In the Marine Mammals, Seammon did not add any information of importance, 
but changed the estimate of length from 70-90 ft. to 60-100 ft. He also in- 
cludes the following data, furnished by Capt. Roys of the bark Jceland, of a Sulphur- 
bottom, presumably this species, taken by him at some locality not stated : 
POMBE Diecpe nea e iovahensici eis. sieiaia) Seca ebay s tacieesepereha.e Qa seins aroms was 95 ft. 
(CnIRING Sey oe onl Dao Ob OOO Gee ae One. dnlen MOG Co CesT care 20m 
Tengthy ofp awibOmesss stare) e cnc store atoreregecs os alsneial & jee e alors Fit 
ongestaw hale bone yay .jja<.274 1-094 satalors tote sie aici sis\/s s/e)s sige oer evere Ave 
Wiel dtathwitalebomener. teeta tert ase ctor /olersb ei (ele eistess.arse)ece 800 lbs. 
VATE WO ONES Ais defend exroenone coon Som ie Canny reer aon 110 bbls. 
From these several records, it is evident that B. su/fureus is a species allied 
to the B. musculus of the Atlantic. If there is any real basis for separation, it 
would appear to be in the color of the body, and possibly in the greater length of 
the whalebone. The latter is given as 4 feet in Capt. Roys’s 95 ft. Pacific speci- 
men, while the longest Newfoundland whalebone I could find was but 82 inches 
long, and the average only 24.7 in. It is possible of course that in the case of the 
Pacific specimen the bristles were included. As these are 1 ft. to 18 in. long they 
would make up a total length of 4 ft. or more. The total length of 95 feet is in 
excess of the largest reliable measurement for B. musculus, namely, 88 ft. 6 in., 
but taken alone this fact can not be given much weight. 
Scammon published two figures of B. su/fureus, one a crude outline, in the 
article edited by Cope (83, fig. 11), and the other in the Marine Mammals (82, pl. 
13). The latter is a finely shaded figure, beautifully proportioned. If it is accu- 
rate, B. sulfureus, we must believe, is quite different from B. musculus in color 
and proportions. The pectoral fin js represented as very broad and blunt, with an 
uregular anterior margin. The dorsal is very much reclined. The color is repre- 
sented as very dark or black on the back, and white or very light on the entire 
lower half of the body, with a quite sharp demarkation from the dark color of the 
back. The anterior margin of the pectoral is dark. The pectoral folds are narrow 
at the posterior end and broad at the anterior end, and reach up very close to the 
margin of the lower lip in an absolutely regular succession. The caudal peduncle is 
very narrow at the insertion of the flukes. 
In these particulars the figure is quite unlike B. musculus. The coloration, as 
represented, is more like that of B. physalus. The arrangement of the folds and 
the shape of the caudal peduncle are unlike any Finback whale with which I am 
acquainted. Unfortunately, the figure, like all the others in the book, appears to 
