130 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
THE BEAKED RORQUAL. 
RoORQUALUS ROSTRATUS, 
PLATE XXX. FIG. 1. 
Balena rostrata. Faprictus, Faun. Greenland. p. 40. 
Balenoptera acuto-rostrata. LackpEDE, Cet. p. 134, pl. 4. 
B. rostrata. Scoressy, Arct. Regions. 
Rorqualus minor. Knox, Nat. Lib. Vol. 6, p. 142, pl. 7. 
Characteristics. Bluish black ; greyish white beneath, with numerous flesh-colored folds on 
the throat and belly. Baleen white, divided into 320 plates on each side. 
Vertebre 48. Length 16 — 25 feet. 
Description. Body cylindrical, and gently tapering from the swimming paws to the head 
and tail; towards the tail the body becomes much compressed, and forms a ridge which runs 
a few inches on the tail. Head smaller than the body, long, narrow and pointed ; the outlme 
of the head separated from the dorsal outline by a slight depression. 'The upper mandible, 
from the commencement of the baleen, is 42°0 long, and 4°0 shorter than the lower, into 
which it is received; furnished with baleen of a whitish color, which has a hoary appearance 
on its fringed edges. ‘The lamine, as nearly as could be ascertained by repeated countings, 
amount to three hundred and twenty on each side; they were of various lengths, from two 
to eleven inches, gradually increasing from the snout posteriorly. 'The spiracles two, placed 
at the extremity of the ridge on the upper jaw, a little forward of a line drawn upwards from 
_ the eyes: They are 7°0 long, and gradually approach each other to within 0°75 in front ; pos- 
teriorly they are 3°0 apart, and are separated from each other by a deep furrow 9°0 long. 
Lower jaw acute, rather stouter, and 4°0 longer than the upper. Eyes large, but appear 
small, as they are much covered by the eyelids ; a deep furrow above and beneath, placed 
above and near the angle of the mouth. The ears not visible, but their situation is determined 
by a very slight change in the appearance of the skin, which yields rather more than the sur- 
rounding parts to pressure ; they are about 5°0 behind and a little below the eyes. Tongue 
large, free and very fat; beneath it the skin of the throat is very dilatable. Roof of the mouth 
smooth. No vestige of a tooth could be seen or felt in the lower jaw. Swimming paws 25°0 
long, oblong, tapering, and attached vertically to the body about two-thirds of the distance 
from the dorsal protuberance to the angle of the mouth. (In the figure this is incorrectly given.) 
Dorsal eminence leathery, elastic, triangular, a foot high, broad at the base, and placed above 
the vent. Tail horizontal, bilobate, its tips pointed. Chin and throat with numerous furrows 
0-5 to 1°0 deep, extending some distance over the abdomen, and presenting a waved appear- 
ance on the chin and throat. 
Color. Bluish black above, pearly white beneath, but this has changed to a faint pink, 
especially in the furrows, owing, I imagine, to the settling of the blood in those parts. Lips 
white. Swimming paws white in the middle, black at the base and extremities. Under side 
of the tail whitish. 
