16 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



The three remaining genera, the Right Whales 

 (Balcznd), the Humpback Whales (Megaptera) and 

 the Rorquals or Finners (Baltznoptera) are all 

 pursued by commercial whalers. Some representa- 

 tives of all three genera are found in waters 

 surrounding the British Isles, the Finners or 

 Rorquals being the commonest. 



Lydekker recognises two species of Right Whale, 

 the Greenland or Arctic Right Whale (Balcena 

 mysticetus) and the Southern Right Whale (Balcena 

 australis}. The Southern Right Whale is sub- 

 divided into so-called species or varieties according 

 to their geographical distribution, e.g., the B. bis- 

 cayensis of the North Atlantic, B. japonica of the 

 North Pacific, B. australis of the South Atlantic, 

 and B. antipodarum and B. novce-zealandice of the 

 South Pacific. 



The variety known to the whalers as the Nord- 

 caper (B. biscayensis) is the only Right Whale 

 taken in the seas off the British Islands. It is by 

 no means uncommon off the Hebrides, twenty being 

 taken there in 1908, twenty-one in 1909, and five 

 in 1910. In this year the Nordcaper was taken for 

 the first time on the Shetland grounds, four 

 specimens being captured. In 1911 there were no 

 Right Whales taken anywhere in Scottish waters, 

 eleven in 1912, one in 1913, and five in 1914. 

 There was no whaling in the five following years on 

 account of the war. 



The species of Balaena or Right Whale are most 

 readily distinguished from the other whales by their 



