246 On the Geographical Distribution of the Balenide. 
the strand of Tory Channel is strewed with the baleen and the 
bones of this Whale. 
Capt. Maury’s Whale-Charts show that Right Whales of 
some species have been observed in almost all parts of the 
the South Sea, from the south of the Cape of Good Hope to 
the coast of Van Diemen’s Land (that is, a belt of sea from 
latitude 35° to 50°), and even a few in latitude 55°. I have 
no means of determining if the Right Whale inhabiting this 
district is B. australis, B. Temminckit, B. australiensis, or a 
peculiar species not yet determined. Prof. Van Beneden, in 
his chart, does not mention any Right Whales being found in 
the district. 
I think that we must wait for more material before we can 
attempt a sketch of the geographical distribution of these 
animals in which any reliance can be placed. The only infor- 
mation we possess may be thus summed up :— . 
Capt. Maury’s Whale-Charts show that Right Whales are 
found in almost all seas, from the poles to within 35 or 30° 
degrees of latitude on each side of the equator. An expe- 
rienced whaler observes that “ Right Whales are as seldom 
seen in that belt as Sperm-Whales are found out of it.” Right 
Whales, that were comparatively common in the temperate 
part of the North Atlantic, are now very rare: they were pro- 
bably greatly destroyed by the whalers who formerly fished 
there, as they do now in the Southern Sea and North Pacific; 
and the great traffic, and the bay being all inhabited, prevent 
these animals having the requisite privacy for replenishing 
their race. Maury’s maps show how few are now found in 
this part of the ocean; and only a single specimen of the B. 
biscayensis is in any collection ; and the Scrag-Whale (B. no- 
dosa) of the coast of North America has not been observed 
since Dudley’s time. | 
1. We only know, from the examination of specimens, that 
Balena mysticetus is found in Greenland. 
2. Balena biscayensis, on the coast of Spain. 
3. Balena australis and, 4, B. Temminckii at the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
5. Balena antipodarum, New Zealand. 
6. Balena australiensis and, 7, B. marginata on the shores 
of Australia; the latter only known from some blades of its 
whalebone. 
8. Balena japonica, of Japan, which is probably the whale 
that yields the baleen sold as north-west whalebone. No 
other part of this Whale is known to exist in any museum. 
9. Balena nodosa, the Scrag-Whale of Dudley, inhabits 
the coast of North America; but, unfortunately, no specimen 
