HUMP-BACKED WHALE. 395 



out of the water, turns round in the air, and falls on its 

 back, beating itself with the pectorals. It appears at 

 times quite fearless, and swims round about the boats 

 quite near to them, as if they were its comrades. The 

 young follow the mother until she brings forth another, 

 which is said not to take place every year, as very large 

 young ones are sometimes seen with the mothers." 



The head is larger in proportion than that of the Rorquals, 

 and the upper jaw is smaller than the lower. The body is 

 robust, near the tail it is much compressed. The blow- 

 holes are two narrow slits, the eyes are placed close to 

 the angles of the mouth, and the lips are marked by a 

 row of tubercles of various sizes. The flippers are 

 very long and are marked along their edges by promi- 

 nences and depressions nearly corresponding with the 

 joints of the concealed fingers. The dorsal fin is very 

 low, often hardly more than a lump ; the tail is broad 

 and deeply notched. The throat and belly are marked 

 by deep longitudinal plaits or grooves, but these are less 

 numerous than in the true Balanopterce. 



The upper parts are black, the lower are varied with 

 black and white in streaks and patches; the pectorals are 

 wholly white. The baleen is black with brownish bristles, 

 and consists of about four hundred short blades on each 

 side of the mouth. The number of vertebrae is fifty-three, 

 and there are fourteen pairs of ribs. 



According to Eschricht and Holboll, the " Keporkak " 

 reaches a length of fifty or even sixty feet. Prof. Flower 

 considers the usual length of the adult to range from 

 forty -five to fifty feet. 



The following are the dimensions of the Dee specimen 

 as given by Mr. Moore : 



Ft. In. 



Total length . . . , . 31 4 



Length of gape . 80 



