162 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



conspicuous manner than in any other whale with which I am acquainted. 

 The name ' Blue whale,' bestowed on this species by Foyn, seems to me very suit- 

 able, and I will therefore propose that it be adopted for the species as the 

 Norwegian common name. The pectoral fins externally are of the color of the 

 body, but on the inner surface and the whole lower convex border, shining white, 

 which color at a long distance contrasts sharply with the dark tints of the rest of 

 the body. Quite constantly there occur also below the pectorals on the fluted sides 

 of the breast a number of small milk-white spots, whose number and distribution 

 vary considerably in different individuals. In addition, I have found in all indi- 

 viduals, more or less strongly marked, a lighter mottling above the roots of the 

 pectorals and between them and the region of the eye. The flukes, as well above 

 as below, are of the color of the body, but on the lower surface a little lighter than 

 on the upper." 



The color of the 25 or 30 Newfoundland specimens which I observed agreed 

 well with this description, though I found, as in the case of the Common Finback, 

 that there was a large individual variation, no two specimens being precisely alike. 



Neither Sars's figure nor his description gives an adequate idea of the compli- 

 cated coloration of the species. It would be futile to attempt a detailed description 

 of the markings, but some idea may be given of the general disposition of the lighter 

 and darker tints. In the Sulphurbottoms of Newfoundland the head, chin, throat, 

 and lips are dark bluish-gray, darker than the rest of the body and uniform. All 

 the remainder of the body is variously spotted, mottled, and lined with light gray, 

 dark gray, and white. The shoulders, back, and sides are mottled with large irregu- 

 larly elliptical marks of dark gray and light gray, the latter generally predominating, 

 and sometimes almost excluding the dark color, so that the whole animal behind 

 the eyes appeai-s light gray. Even in these cases, however, there are areas of more 

 or less dark color above the pectoral fins (when laid back) and the anus, and 

 between the latter and the flukes. 



The long axes of the elliptical light-gray markings take different directions. 

 They sweep up around the base of the pectoral fin and are then directed obliquely 

 downward and backward above the posterior ends of the furrows. They then 

 point directly backward, or those of the upper rows upward and backward toward 

 the top of the caudal peduncle. 



The belly is invariably marked with distinct white spots, which, however, vary 

 greatly in number. In some cases they are so mimerous under the root of the 

 pectoral fin as to produce a large white area, extending as a band backward toward 

 the navel, and some spots are to be found down to the median line and scattered 

 forward considerably in front of the pectoral fin, a few even invading the lips. In 

 other cases the white spots run off the pectoral flutings posteriorly on to the flanks, 

 between the navel and the anus. In other cases again, there are no white spots 

 anterior to the base of the pectoral fin, and they only extend down to the median 

 line at the posterior end of the pectoral flutings and there stop. 



The under surface of the flukes near the root, from the anterior margin back- 



' O 



ward, is finely marked with alternating light and dark gray lines running antero- 

 posteriorly, but finally curving inward toward the median line. 



