1908.] Allen, The North Atlantic Right Whale. 307 



his new genus Eubalwna on B. australis Desm. He was unable to satis- 

 factorily identify B. biscayensi*, which later he regarded it as having no 

 "zoological basis," and still later referred it to his genus Hunterus, after 

 having also considered it as probably not separable from B. mystwetus. 



These two groups have been recognized by various authors as well 

 founded, as by Flower (in 1864 and 1869), Van Beneden, and Guldberg, 

 and by the latter adopted as a full genus. They may be diagnostically con- 

 trasted as follows: 1 



Balcena. Head and body enormously thick in proportion to the length, with 

 the head forming about one third of the total length; skull greatly arched, thus 

 affording space for the long baleen, which differs much in texture as well as length 

 from that of the whales of the Eubalcena group. 



Eubalcena. Head and body relatively long and slender, with the head forming 

 about one fourth of the total length; skull much less arched, and the baleen about 

 one half shorter than in Balcena, and also much thicker, not so smooth, and with a 

 coarser fringe. 



The total length is nearly the same in both B. mystwetus and E. glacialix 

 (= Balcena biscayensis auct.), but the bulk of the former is enormously 

 greater than in the latter, especially of the head, which results in great 

 difference in external proportions, and in the structural details of the skull. 

 The other Right Whales (excepting of course the genera Neobalcena and 

 Rhachianectes) closely resemble the North Atlantic species, but the North 

 Pacific Right Whale is apparently larger with longer baleen. 



Eubalsena Gray. 



Eubalcena GRAY, P. Z. S., 1864, 201, 589; Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), XIV, 

 1864, 348; Cat. Seals and Whales, 1866, 91; Synop. Whales and Dolphins, 1868, 1; 

 Suppl. Cat. Seals and Whales, 1871, 42. FLOWER, P. Z. S., 1864, 390; Trans. Zool. 

 Soc. London, VI, 1869, 115. VAN BENEDEN & GERVAIS, Osteogr. des Cetaces, livr. 

 4, 1868, 114 (in text). LILLJEBORG, Nov. Acta Reg. Soc. Sc. Upsala (3), VI, 1867, 

 14. GULDBERG, Christiania Vidensk.-Selsk. Forhandl., 1891, No. 8, 12; Zool. Jahrb., 

 Abth. f. Syst., VII, 1893, 18. 



Monotypic, with Balcena australis Desmoulins as type. 



Four species of Eubalcena are commonly admitted by cetologists, and 

 seem to be fairly well founded. Two occur in the northern hemisphere and 

 two (possibly three) in the southern hemisphere. Those of the northern 



1 In this connection reference may be made to the four genera proposed by Eschricht in 

 1849 (Kong. Danske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr., 5th ser., naturv. og math. Afd., I, 1849, p. 108) for 

 the species of whalebone whales as then known, all of which he placed in a comprehensive group 

 Balcena, dividing it into two primary divisions, Liobalcena (Right Whales), and Ogmobalcena 

 (Humpback and Finback Whales). The latter he further divided into Kyphobalcena (Hump- 

 backs^ Megaptera Gray, 1846), and Pterobalcena (Finbacks = Balcenoptcra Lace"pede, 1804). 

 His Liobalcena was, as here denned, the same as the Balcena sensu stricta of authors, and, no type 

 being designated, must be regarded as a synonym of Balcena. 



