496 



ROSTRATED MYSTICETE. 



Balaena Rostrata. B. minima rostra strictiore, dorso pmnaio, la- 

 minis oris albis. Fabr. Faun. Groeiil. p. 4. 



Small Whale, with taper snout and adipose back fin. 



Balaena rostrata. B. ore rostrato, dorsi pinna adiposa. Lin. 

 Syst. Nat. Gmd. p. 226. 



Balaena minima, rostro longissimo et acutissimo. Mull. Zool. 

 Dan. Prodr. p. 7. n. 48. 



Rostrated Whale. Naturalist's Mi&cellany, vol. 9. p. 304. 



THIS is by far the smallest as well as the most 

 elegant in its appearance of all the Mysticetes or 

 Whalebone Whales, being rarely known to attain 

 the length of twenty-five feet. The head, upper 

 part of the back, fins, and tail, are of a dark or 

 blueish-brown, but the sides and abdomen are of 

 a beautiful white, with a very slight tinge of pale 

 rose or flesh-colour, and are marked for more 

 than half the length of the animal by very nume- 

 rous longitudinal plaits or furrows : the eyes are 

 small, as is also the head, and the snout is much 

 more elongated than in any other species, gra- 

 dually tapering to the extremity, which is slightly 

 pointed : the back fin is small, and situated at no 

 great distance from the tail : the pectoral fins are 

 small and narrow, and the tail is divided into two 

 longish and pointed lobes. The whole animal 

 has an elegant fish-like form, and has none of 

 that uncouth appearance which prevails in the 

 larger species. 



