246 On the Geographical Distribution of the Balsenidse. 



the strand of Tory Channel is strewed with the baleen and the 

 bones of this Whale. 



Capt. Mainy'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. australisj B. Temminckii, B. mistraliensis, 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 distiibution 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. 

 hiscayensis 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 

 Balcena mysticetus is found in Greenland. 



2. Balmna hiscayensis, on the coast of Spain. 



3. Balcena australis and, 4, B. Temminckii at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



5. Balcena antipodarum, New Zealand. 



6. Balcena australiensis and, 7, B. marginata on the shores 

 of Australia ; the latter only known from some blades of its 

 whalebone. 



8. Balcena jajponica, 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. Balcena nodosa, the Scrag- Whale of Dudley, inhabits 

 but, unfortunately, no specimen 



