21 



CETACEANS (Whales and Dolphins). 



Quite a number of Cetaceans roam the waters of our sea- 

 board. Among the Whales are (i) the Southern Right Whale, 

 or Black Whale (Balcena australis), which, by the way, seems 

 to be very little different to the North Atlantic Right Whale 

 (B. glacialis) ; (2) the Hump-back (Megaptera) ; (3) the 

 Common Fin-back, or Black Fin-back (Balcznoptera physalus*); 

 (4) the Sulphur-bottom (B. musculus*) ; (5)f the Little Piked 

 Whale, also known as Pike Whale, and in parts as " Grampus " 

 (and which appears to me to be identical with Balcenoptera 

 acutoro strata) ; (6) the large Sperm Whale (Physeter) ; and (7) 

 the little Pigmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps). I also have 

 a report of a Grey Fin-back, from Twofold Bay, which is 

 very likely another species of large Rorqual. There is also a 

 small Whalebone Whale allied to the Black Whale, and known 

 under the generic name of Eubalcena. 



Among the Dolphins, the most abundant form is, of course, 

 the common Porpoise so called. This is the Common 

 Dolphin (Delphinus del phis). Then there is the Bottle- 

 nosed Dolphin J (Tursio), which appears to be fairly abun- 

 dant; and the great "King of the Dolphins" the Killer 

 (Orca gladiator), which preys largely upon the various species 

 of whale. 



Many years ago Sydney was a whaling port of very con- 

 siderable importance, a number of whalers making it their 

 headquarters. Though this was so, the whales were not 

 necessarily captured on the coast of New South Wales, as 

 the vessels in some cases made long voyages. Nowadays, 

 the only whaling industry carried on in New South Wales 

 waters is that at Eden, Twofold Bay, though whales are 



* These two large Rorquals are generally known here under other 

 specific names, but they do not seem to be specifically different from the 

 two well-known Atlantic forms recognised under the names here given. 



f Numbers 1-5 are all " whalebone," or " baleen," whales, as distinct 

 from the sperm whales, which are " toothed." 



% Not the Bottle-nosed Whale (Hyperoodon), which also occurs in- 

 Australian waters. 



