I2O Anecdotal Natural History. 



Having now glanced at the principal characteristics 

 of the whales as a family, we will take each of the 

 more important members in turn, and devote a short 

 space to their habits and peculiarities. 



The first in order is the Greenland Whale (Baltzna 

 mysticetus), or, as it is often termed, the Right Whale. 

 This whale is an inhabitant of the seas bordering upon 

 the northern polar regions, where, in spite of the 

 annual slaughter, it is still to be found in considerable 

 numbers. 



The Greenland whale, although of great size, is by 

 no means equal to the huge rorqual in its dimensions. 

 Its average length is from fifty-five to sixty feet. The 

 head is extremely large, occupying rather more than 

 one-third of the whole bulk. 



The colour of this whale is a deep velvety black 

 upon the upper parts of the body, and greyish white 

 upon the under surface. It is one of the most useful 

 of all the whales to mankind, the baleen, or whalebone, 

 being long and of fine quality, and the oil rich, and 

 found in great quantity. Even the very bones teem 

 with the oil, the jawbones especially producing a con- 

 siderable amount. 



It is believed that one cub only is produced at a 

 birth in the case of the Greenland whale. For the 

 first few month of its life the baleen is not developed, 

 and the young whale is obliged to depend for the 

 whole of its nourishment upon its mother, who never 

 leaves it until it is old enough to forage for itself. 



The Rorqual (Physalus boops) is the largest of the 

 whale tribe, sometimes attaining to the extraordinary 

 length of one hundred feet, or even more. In spite of 

 its huge size, it is of comparatively little value, the oil 

 obtained from the body being very scanty, and the 

 whalebone short and of very inferior quality. The 

 animal is therefore seldom molested except by inex- 



