240 African Zuohxjy. 



opening with difficulty distinguishable ; nape marked by a slight 

 depression which is traceable on each side as far as the pectoral 

 fins ; belly large and roLind : tail notched behind, and measures 

 from point to point about fifteen feet ; on the back towards 

 last third of body there is a longitudinal callosity in the foim 

 of a fin, which is abrupt or truncated behind. 8kiu very soft, < 

 colour commonly blackish with jrreenish reflections intermixed 

 with shades of grey, sometimes the colour is slaty blue spotted 

 with white, and the belly is always white. The general length 

 of the animal is from sixty to seventy feet, and the circum- 

 ference at the thickest part about fifty feet. 



Inhabits most seas, — occurs in the Mozambique Channel and 

 near the South-cast Coast of Afiica. 



Fam. BALAENID-E. 



Teeth none ; upper jaw furnished on each side wilh whale- 

 bones or transverse slender corneous laminae, which are attenu- 

 ated and fringed at the inner edges ; orifices of the S])iracles 

 SL'jiarate, and situated towards the middle of the upper portiou 

 of head. 



Genus BALiENA. LinncBiis. 



No dorsal Jin ; back regular, or with a hunch. 



Balcenn my slice tus, Linnajus. Figure cylindrical from the 

 neck to witliiu ten feet of the tail, beyond which it is somewhat 

 quadrangular, the greatest ridge being upward, or on the back, 

 and running backward uearly across the middle of the tail. 

 Head somewhat of a triangular shape ; the under part, the 

 arched outline of which is given by the jaw-bones, is fiat, and 

 measures IG to 20 feet in length, and 10 to VI m breadth ; 



^ the lips extending 15 to 20 feet in length and 5 or 6 in height, 

 and forming the cavity of the mouth, are attached lo the under 

 jaw, and arise from the jaw-bones at an angle of about 80 



^ degrees, having the appearance, when ^icwcd in front, of the 

 letter U. The upper jaw, including the crown bone, or skulf, 

 is bent down at the extremity, and is overlapped by the lips in 

 a squamous manner at the sides In the place of teeth there are 

 two extensive rows of fins, or whalebone, suspended from the sides 

 of the crown bone, they arc covered immediately by the lips', 

 and inclose the tongue between their lower extremities. Each 

 series consist of about 300 laminje, the longest are near the 

 middle from whence they gradually diminish again to nothing 

 at each extremity : 10 or 11 feet is the average length, and 

 the greatest breadth, which is at the gum, is 10 or 12 inches. 

 The lainincc comprising the series arc ranged side by side, two- 



