736 



at 



bone attached to the upper jaw : blow-Jioles 

 distinct. 



The following simple and natural arrange- 

 ment is by Mr. J. E. Gray. He describes the 

 Whales (Cete) as the third order of Mam- 

 malia, stating that they are peculiar for their 

 fish-shaped, nearly bald body ; that their 

 hinder limbs are united, forming an hori- 

 zontal tail ; and that they have simply co- 

 nical rootless teeth or whalebone in the jaws. 



The family of the Whales (Balcenidce), he 

 observes, have a very large head, at least 

 one-third the length of the body, as the tribe 

 of Whales (Balcenina), which have whale- 

 bones in the jaws, and the Catodons or Phy- 

 seterina, which have simple conical teeth, 

 as the Spermaceti Whale (Catodonta) and 

 Cachalot (Physeter) The family of Por- 

 poises (Delphinidce), which have a moderate 

 or small head and an elongated or smooth 

 body, as the Dolphins (Delphinus), which 

 have conical jaws and teeth, the Porpoises 

 (.Pliocce.no), which have a shorter head and 

 compressed teeth, the Hyperoodons, which 

 only have a few teeth, all these, Mr. Gray 

 observes, have tapering front limbs, while the 

 Susuk (Platanista) has triangular truncated 

 limbs, an elongated beak with compressed 

 teeth, and the bones of the skull bent over 

 the forehead, so as to form an arched cavity. 



In the other families, Mr. Gray remarks, 

 the skin is more or less horny, and the lips 

 always furnished with rigid whiskers ; the 

 teeth are flat topped. The Manatees (Ma- 

 natidcK) have eight grinders in each jaw, and 

 the tail rounded at the end. The Dugongs 

 (Halicoridce) have only three or five grinders 

 in each j aw, and the end of the tail truncated 

 or two-lobed. 



The COMMON, TRUE, or GREENLAND 

 WHALE (Balcena M ysticetus), is principally 

 met with in the northern arctic circle, but 

 it is also to be found, in considerable num- 

 bers, in many other parts of the world. Al- 

 though not the largest of the tribe, it is, on 

 many accounts, the most valuable in a com- 

 mercial point of view, being, like several 

 other genera and species, pursued by man 

 for the sake of oil and other valuable pro- 

 ducts. Its size is usually, in length, about 

 sixty feet ; its greatest circumference from 

 thirtj 

 war 

 rather suddenly towards the tail. The head 



I the upper jaw bends down at the extremity 

 to close the cavity of the mouth. There are 



I no teeth : the laminae of whalebone which 

 fill the cavity of the mouth are ranged in 

 two series, consisting of about three hundred 

 in each : the eyes are remarkably small ; 

 the external opening of the ears scarcely 

 perceptible ; the pectoral fins are of mode- 

 rate size, and placed about two feet behind 

 the angle of the lips. The tail is of great 

 breadth, semi-lunate on its anterior margin 



i deeply divided in the middle ; the posterior 



I outline sinuous, and the termination of the 

 lobes pointed : the anterior and middle parts 

 of the body nearly cylindrical ; the posterior 

 part rhomboid, the highest ridge or angle 

 being upwards. General colour blackish 

 gray ; the anterior part of the lower jaw, 

 and part of the throat and belly, white. 



" The family of the Balcenidce," says Mr. 

 Bell, " consisting, as there is now reason to 

 believe, but of two known generic forms, are 

 distinguished by the following generic cha- 

 racters : Rivalling the Physeters in their 

 huge general dimensions, the head is propor- 

 tionally much smaller, and the whole form 

 less clumsy. They have no teeth in either 

 jaw ; but the upper, which is extremely 

 narrow, is furnished with numerous horny 

 laminse, the whalebone of commerce, 

 descending perpendicularly from the palate, 

 and varying in proportional breadth and 

 length in the different species. . . . The 



rty to forty feet. The body is bulky for- 

 rds, largest about the middle, and tapers 



of which is formed of a central coarse fibrous 

 layer lying between two which are compact 

 and externally polished. The external part 

 does not cover the internal to its extreme 

 edge ; the latter appears therefore beyond 

 the former, and terminates in a loose fringed 

 or fibrous extremity. The base of each plate 

 of baleen has a conical cavity, covering a 

 pulp which corresponds with it, and which 

 is embedded within the substance of the gum 

 or buccal membrane which covers the palate 

 and upper jaw. The outer compact layers 

 of each baleen plate, which have been de- 

 scribed, are continuous with a white horny 

 layer of the gum, which passes on to the 

 surface of each plate ; and the pulp appears 

 therefore to be the secreting organ of the 

 internal coarse structure only. The fila- 

 ments of the fringe are very numerous, and 

 is very large, narrow above ; very broad, flat, fill up the cavity of the mouth sufficiently to 

 and rounded beneath ; it occupies about form a most complete and efficient strainer ; 

 one-third of the entire length, being about and as the swallow is extremely small, not 

 sixteen or twenty feet long, and ten or twelve being large enough to admit even the smaller 

 broad : the lips are five or six feet high ; and fish, and the food of these Whales being con- 



