XII GREENLAND WHALE . 25/6) 
space. It is absolutely confined to the Arctic Ocean, and reported 
occurrences on our coasts are due to a confusion with B. australis, 
to be presently described. At the “ Devil’s Dyke,” near Brighton, 
there is, or was, the skull of a most flagrant Rorqual, which is 
carefully labelled “Greenland Whale.” This Whale grows to a 
length of 50, 60, rarely 70 feet. It is black in colour, save 
for a white patch on the under side of the jaw. The head is 
quite one-third of the body in length. There are a few scattered 
hairs at the extremity of the jaws. The length of time which 
this Whale can endure immersion has been variously stated. The 
utmost limit of endurance is stated by Scammon to be one hour 
and twenty minutes. The pursuit of this Whale is attended by 
dangers, not in the least because the animal is itself fierce and 
ready to attack, but simply on account of the velocity with 
which, and the great depth to which, it will dive, and also to the 
huge muscular force which is exerted in its struggles to free itself 
from the harpoons. It is indeed an extremely timid beast. It 
has been remarked that “a bird alighting upon its back some- 
times sets it off in great agitation and terror.” Combined with 
this timidity of disposition .is an intense affection for its young, 
“which would do honour,” observed Scoresby, “to the superior 
intelligence of human beings.” Yet that trader and observer 
goes on to remark that “the value of the prize . . . cannot be 
sacrificed to feelings of compassion”! The fact that this Whale 
and its congener, B. australis, feed among swarms of minute 
pelagic creatures, which they engulf in their huge mouths, led 
the ancients to believe and assert that they fed upon water only. 
When the Whale feeds it moves along with some velocity, taking 
in huge mouthfuls of sea water with the contained organisms, 
which are then strained off by the whalebone and left stranded 
upon the tongue. 
Unlike its congener, the southern Right Whale, B. australis,' 
is world-wide in distribution, avoiding only the Arctic regions. 
Where the Greenland Whale is found B. australis does not exist. 
The principal differences which it shows from 6. mysticetus are 
firstly in the relatively shorter head and shorter and coarser 
whalebone. In the second place it has more ribs, fifteen pairs 
as against thirteen ; but there is apparently some little confusion 
in the matter of ribs. An additional rib at the end of the series 
1 The name that has priority seems to be glacialis. 
