272 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTEBN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



Ft. In. 



Distance from flukes to hump 12 3 



Length of hump along the back 3 o 



Height" " i o 



Depth of small close to flukes 2 6 



Thickness of small close to flukes i 6 



The characters included in the foregoing paragraphs are all identical with those 

 of M. nodosa, except that relating to the position of the dorsal fin, which is said to 

 be " about one fourth the length from the flukes," while in M. nodosa the distance 

 from the posterior margin of the flukes is almost exactly one third the total length. 

 This character is undoubtedly drawn from the measurements cited above. How 

 far these measurements are reliable can not be exactly ascertained. As given in 

 the Marine Mammals, they are considerably changed from the figures of 1869. 

 It will be seen later that in another specimen measured by Scammon the distance 

 from the posterior margin of the dorsal fin to the snout was exactly two thirds the 

 total length. 



The length of the pectorals, according to these measurements,' is 27.4 % the 

 total length, as against 27.0 % to 31.0 % in M. nodosa. The breadth of the pec- 

 torals is 6.4 %, against 6.1 % to 7.6 % in M. nodosa ; height of dorsal fin, 2.0 % 

 against 1.9 % to 2.5 %. The approximation must be regarded as very close. 



Professor Cope considered the presence of tubercles on top of the head as 

 constituting a distinguishing character, but such is, of course, not the case. 



Scammon's observations in the Marine Mammals (82) include those employed 

 by Cope in establishing the species M. versabilis, with others of equal importance. 

 He gives notes on the color and some other features of three additional specimens 

 from California. These are as follows : 



No. 1. Female. Color of body, black above, but more or less marbled with 

 white below. Fins, black above, and dotted with white beneath. Number of 

 folds on throat and breast, 21, the widest of which were 6 inches. 



No. 2. Female. Color of body black, with slight marks of white beneath. 

 Color of pectorals, black above, white below. Color of flukes, black above and 

 below. Gular folds, 18. Tubercles on lips, 9. 



No. 3. Female. Color of body black above, slightly mottled with white and 

 gray below. Fins and flukes, black above, white beneath. Number of laminae of 

 whalebone 540 ; black, streaked with white, or light lead color. 



Scammon remarks further : 



"The usual color of the Humpback is black above, a little lighter below, 

 slightly marbled with white or gray ; but sometimes the animal is of spotless 

 white under the fins and about the abdomen. The posterior edge of the hump, in 

 many examples, is tipped with pure white" (82, 41). 



After referring to the various normal species of Gray, Scammon adds : 



" We have frequently recognized, upon the California coast, every species here 



