RORQUAL OF THE SOUTHERN SEAS. 14? 



pical zone includes the same species throughout its 

 whole circumference, and that as we remove from 

 it, hoth northward and southwards, each parallel 

 has its peculiar varieties, whose limits are terminated 

 by the different meridians of the globe. In the 

 present state of our knowledge, it would be going 

 too far to affirm that none of the Cetacea plough 

 the wave indifferently in every clime, but, as we? have 

 seen, Mr. Scorseby decidedly states the mysticetus 

 has never been seen in European seas; and since 

 that time, it has been proved that there is both a 

 distinct mysticetus and rorqual in the Southern 

 Ocean. This then is sufficient to excite renewed 

 attention to the subject, and the inquiry should 

 henceforward be prosecuted with fresh zeal. 



The Southern Rorqual was first examined at the 

 Cape of Good Hope by M. Delalande. Its most 

 evident peculiarity is a long dorsal fin, which, instead 

 of being placed near the tail, is situated immediately 

 over the pectorals. The body is black above and 

 pure white beneath, except within the folds, which 

 are of a well marked rosy hue. Cuvier has ac- 

 curately detailed the differences in the osteology, 

 and to his work we shall refer the scientific reader 

 (Oss. Foss. v. 372); only remarking it has seven 

 cervical vertebrae, fourteen dorsal, and fourteen pair 

 of ribs, and thirty-one lumbar and caudal, making 

 a total of fifty-two vertebrae. 



The Southern Rorqual but rarely approaches the 

 coasts of the Cape, since it is stated that only two 

 or three are observed there during the year; nor 



