CETACEA. 



CETACEA. 



apart ; and the internal, in Bal<enoptera rostrata, formed of smaller, 

 much thinner, triangular pieces, placed much closer together, and 

 forming a very dense screening apparatus ; and in Balana australis the 

 inner series is formed of numerous separate narrow strips of whale- 

 bone, each ending in a pencil of hairs, which vary in size from that of 

 small twine to that of tape, half an inch wide : these are placed behind 

 the others, and gradually increase in size from the innermost to the 

 broad external series. 



" The baleen, or whalebone, affords good characters for the separation 

 of this family into sections. Mr. Knox (' Cat. Prep. Whale,') givea 

 the best account of the development, position, and distinction between 

 the baleen of the whales of the North Sea which has come under my 

 observation ; and it agrees with the observations I had made on the 

 subject before I could procure his pamphlet. 



" In BaUena, maximus, Knox (Physalui Antiquorum), 314 external 

 or labial plates (baleen) were counted on each side. Towards each 

 extremity these plates degenerate into briatles, and admit of being 

 counted with difficulty. Towards the mesial line the baleen as a 

 mass diminishes gradually in depth, giving the whole palatine surface 

 an elegant arched form. The 314 external or labial plates do not 

 extend to the whole extent in a transverse direction, but a system of 

 numerous small and narrow plates succeeds the external ones. For 

 each external plate twelve (internal) smaller ones could be easily 

 counted ; so that the number of plates which could be counted, and 

 not including the bristly terminations towards the snout, pharynx, 

 and mesial line, stands thus : external or labial plates 314 ; internal 

 email plates, corresponding to each external one, 12 ; total number of 

 baleen plates 3768. The longest plate of baleen is placed about the 

 centre of each of the sides, and measured 26 inches in length, and 15 

 inches in breadth. The substance when recent ia highly elastic and 

 very heavy : the whole weighed nearly two tons. 



" It ia abort or long according to the species of whale, being 

 modified entirely by the more or lesa arched form of the upper jaw. 

 Mr. P. Knox first pointed out this curious and important fact. The 

 usual conclusion come to by all persons was, that the size of the whale 

 corresponded to the length of the bone or baleen. Now, this ig only 

 good with regard to one species of whale, and not at all to the whole 

 group of Whalebone Whales. (Knox, ' Cat. Prep. Whale,' 8.) 



" In Bakena minimut, Knox (Baltenoptera rtatrata), 307 external 

 or labial (baleen) plates can be counted on each side. Towards each 

 extremity theae plates degenerate into fine bristles, which were not 

 counted. The plates hang perfectly parallel with each other, and 

 from their closeness and fringed lingual aspect must act as a very 

 perfect filter in collecting the minute molluscous animals, and at the 

 same time enable the whale to eject the water. The food of the 

 whale is still a much disputed point. It is now generally admitted 

 that the Myiticcttu lives only on small Medusa;, shrimps, ic., but 

 that the other species of Whalebone Whale devour inconceivable 

 quantities of fish ; for instance, M. Deamoulius states that ' 600 great 

 cod and an immensity (probably as many thousands) of pilchards 

 have been found in the stomach of a single Rorqual' 



"Mr. F. Knox, in dissecting the Balama maximut, saw no cavity in 

 the course of the viscera which could have contained six cod of 

 ordinary size ; that of B. minimut was empty, although the Frith of 

 Forth, particularly at and above Queensferry, abounds at all seasons 

 with herrings and other fishes and their fry. The want of teeth by 

 no means renders it impossible that the Balcena with baleen can live 

 on large fishes ; but the extreme narrowness of the gullet (that of B. 

 mojcimut barely allowed the passage of the closed human hand, and 

 that of B. minimus was certainly narrower than that of an ordinary 

 sized cow), added to the want of teeth and the want of proper 

 authenticated information on the subject, are strong arguments in 

 favour of the hypothesis that they do not. (Knox, 'Cat. Prep. 

 Whale,' 16.) 



" The thickness of the plate of baleen depends on the number of 

 bristles. In the baleen of B. nuurimiu there are 506 bristles in the 

 thickness of the plate, and by a rude enumeration there appeared to 

 be at least 130 bristles in each inch. The whole breadth of the plate 

 being 5J inches gives us 747 bristles entering into ite composition. 

 These bristles are matted together to the extent of 11 inches on the 

 external and 5 inches on the internal margins by a substance like 

 minute laniinx or scales, and which may be seen by the aid of a 

 microscope to invest the free bristles at the fringed extremity of the 

 plate. We have often observed the facility with which some baleen 

 can be split up, and were struck with the fact that the baleen of 

 B. ma.rimiii would not split. The removal of the external lamina in 

 the plate under description ahows the cause of this : about 6J inches 

 from the root of the plate, many of the bristles have deviated from 

 their direct parallel inclination, and become intimately twisted and 

 interwoven with each other. It has been attempted to prove the age 

 of the whale from an examination of the baleen, in the same manner 

 as we judge of the age of cattle by certain annulated markings on 

 the horns. On the plate before us we can distinctly perceive numerous 

 transverse lines crossing the course of the bristles at right angles. If 

 these transverse lines indicate a periodical check to the growth of the 

 baleen, then the age of the B. maxima* would be 800 to 900 years 

 old, that being the number of transverse lines on the longest plate of 

 baleen. (Knox, ' Cat. Prep. Whale,' W.) 



HAT. HUT. DIV. VOL. I. 



" The whalebone of the smooth-bodied whales without any back fins 

 (Balcena) is elongate, much longer than broad at the base, and 



tradually attenuated, and edged with a fringe of equal lengthened 

 ne soft bristles. The baleen is internally formed of a thin layer of 

 fibres, covered on each side with a thick coat of ' enamel ; ' when dry 

 and out of the mouth the blades are flat. 



" The whalebone of the plaited-bellied whale with a bunch (Mega- 

 ptera) or a dorsal fin (Balcmoptera) is short, broad, triangular, not 

 much longer than broad at the base, and rapidly attenuated ; and ia 

 edged with a series (sometimes rather crowded) of elongate rigid 

 unequal bristle-like fibres, which become much thicker and more rigid 

 near and at the tip. The baleen is internally formed of a more or 

 less thick layer of thick fibres, covered on each side with a thin layer 

 of enamel, and when dry and out of the palate they are curled up 

 and somewhat spirally twisted. 



" The baleen of the Balrena is alone designated Whalebone (or rather 

 Whale-Fin, as it is usually called) in commerce. The baleen of tho 

 other genera of this family is called Finner-Fin or Humpback-Fin. 

 The wholesale dealers in baleen, in the ' London Directory,' are called 

 Whale-Fin Merchants, and whalebone occurs under the name of 

 Whale-Fin in the ' Price-Current.' In the ' London New Price- 

 Current,' for 1843, the South Sea Whale-Fin varied during that year 

 from 200/. to 305<. per ton, and there is no price named for Greenland 

 Whale-Fin. (M'Culloch, ' Com. Diet.' i. 1344.) 



" The baleen was formerly thought to be the tail of the animal. 

 (Blackstone, ' Commen.' L 233, quoted by M c Culloeh, ' Com. Diet.' 1344." 



Balcena mysticetus (the Right Whale). It is the B. Groenlandica of 

 Linnaeus ; B. vulgaris of Brisson ; B. Hondelctii of Willughby ; the 

 Right, Whalebone, Common, or Greenland Whale of English writers. 

 One variety is called the Nord Kapper or Nord Caper, another the 

 Rock-Nosed Whale. 



Description. Colour velvet-black, gray, and white, with a yellow 

 tinge. Back, greater portion of the upper jaw, part of the lower, fins, 

 and tail, black ; lips, fore part of lower jaw, sometimes a little of thu 

 upper, and a portion of the abdomen, white ; eyelids, junction of the 

 tail with the body, part of the axilla of the flippers, &c., gray. Tho 

 older the whale, the more white and gray is there upon it ; some are 

 piebald all over. The surface of the body is rather furrowed. Tho 

 head is very large, forming nearly a third of the whole bulk, the 

 under part, the outline of which is given by the jaw-bone, flat. 

 The lips inclose the cavity of the mouth ; the upper jaw is bent 

 down at its edgea like a boat upside down, so as to shut in the front 

 and upper parts of the cavity. On the most elevated part of the 

 head are situated the blow-holes, two longitudinal apertures like the 

 holes in the belly of a violin, and from 8 to 12 inches long. The 

 baleen is very long, ranging from 9 to 12 feet. There are upwards of 

 three hundred of these plates of whalebone on each side of the jaw, 

 enclosing the tongue between their lower extremities, and themselves 

 covered by the lower lip. The body is thickest a little behind the 

 flippers, near the middle of its whole length, whence it gradually 

 tapers conically towards the tail, and slightly towards the head. 

 There is no dorsal fin. The flippers, about 9 feet long and 5 feet 

 broad, are placed about two feet behind the angle of the mouth, and 

 cannot be raised above a horizontal position. The horizontal tail is 

 flat and semilunar, indented in the middle ; the two lobes somewhat 

 pointed and turned a little backwards. The eyes, not much larger 

 than those of an ox, have a white iris, and are situated on the sides 

 of the head about a foot obliquely above and behind the angle of the 

 mouth. The sense of sight appears to be acute in the water, but not 

 above it. The size of this whale has been supposed to have been 

 greatly exaggerated by old statements. Eighty and 100 feet were 

 mentioned as a frequent length, and many accounts more than doubled 

 that measurement. At present 65 or 70 feet appear to be the extreme 

 length of a full grown Mysticete. The Rev. Dr. Scoresby, who has 

 elucidated the history of this whale as satisfactorily as Mr. Beale has 

 that of the Sperm- Whale, and who was personally concerned in the 

 capture of 322, found not one that exceeded 60 feet. It should be 

 remembered however, in criticising old accounts, that the great 

 persecution which these animals have long undergone and still 

 undergo, while it reduces their numbers, is very unfavourable to 

 longevity. 



The habitat usually assigned to this whale is most extensive : thus, 

 M. Lesson states that it inhabits all the seas of the globe, especially 

 the two poles ; but it is not improbable that the Whalebone Whale 

 or Black Whale of the South Seas (Balama, australis, Desmoulins, 

 B. antaretica, Less.), which has every appearance of being distinct, 

 and moreover of being infested with parasitical cirrhipedes (Tubicinclla, 

 Coronula, &c.) of different species from those which infest the Green- 

 land Whale, has been mistaken for the last named cetacean. Multi- 

 tudes of the Southern Balcma, were seen by Captain James Ross, R.N., 

 in very high southern latitudes during his last expedition. 



This species seems to hear acutely any noise made in the water, 

 such as splashing, 4c. in calm weather ; but a sound produced in the 

 air, a loud shout for instance, when the whale is only at the distance 

 of a ship's length, is disregarded. The usual rate of swimming seldom 

 exceeds four miles an hour, but they will descend when harpooned at a 

 velocity of seven or eight miles an hour, and one of these whales when 



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