ATLANTIC RIGIIT-WIIALE. 



CETACEA. 

 {MYSTACOCETI.) 



387 

 BALMNIDJE. 



^. 



ATLANTIC RIGHT-WHALE. 



Balicna biscayensis (Eschriclit). 



Specific Character. — Uniform black. Head not more than one-fourth of 

 the entire length. Angle of mouth depressed below the eyes ; baleen short. 



Baleena bisccv/ensis, Esciiricht. 

 Sarclc of the French, Norclkapcr of the Dutch, Sletbag of the Icelanders. 



In our last article we have pointed out the difficulties 

 which have arisen from the confusion of the two northern 

 species of Right-Whale, and have expressed the opinion 

 that the specimens which have occurred in British waters 

 probably belonged to this — the more southern species. 

 Be this as it may, there can be no doubt that the Atlantic 

 Right-Whale was at one time a visitor to our coasts. We 

 shall show that it was regularly pursued in the Channel in 

 the middle ages, and the cervical vertebras of a Whale, 

 dredged up at Lyme Regis, in ]8()0, and now in the 

 British Museum, are referred to this species by MM. Van 

 Beneden and Gervais, but are made the type of a new 

 species — Macleayius hrittanicus — by Dr. Gray. 



It is to the laborious researches of Professors Eschricht 

 and Rcinhardt, of Copenhagen, that we are indebted for 

 the elucidation of the two northern species of Balccna. 

 These gentlemen published the result of their investiga- 



