3360 The Zoologist— January, 1873. 



breed here in the quiet bays; at any rate, they visit this country 

 almost every year, the two latter following the herrings and perhaps 

 the mackerel, and often ascending the large rivers, the pike whale 

 having been found as high up the Thames as London Bridge. 

 Perhaps the great northern rorqual [Cuvierius Sibbaldii) and the 

 broad-beaked rorqual [Rudolphius laliceps) have the same habit as 

 the razor-back, but they have not been so often seen. It is not so 

 easy to know the geographical distribution of the gigantic flat-back 

 {Sibbaldius borealis), which has only occurred twice, once in the 

 southern parts of the Southern Ocean, and again on the south part 

 of England. It has never been recorded as found in the North Sea, 

 and therefore one is not sure what is its native localit}', but one 

 may make certain that au animal upwards of a hundred feet long 

 does not breed in the much-disturbed German Ocean. The skeleton 

 of the adult specimen was exhibited in London, Paris, and other 

 European capitals, then in America, from whence it migrated to 

 the Crimea, and it is now in the Museum at St. Petersburg. A 

 skeleton seen by so many persons in all countries, and figured 

 several times, still remains unique, whereas if it had occurred else- 

 where it would have attracted attention. Unfortunately, the young 

 specimen at Charmouth appears to be lost; it is said to have left 

 that place to come to London, but I have not been able to trace it 

 further, or to verify the idea that it is the same as the one shown at 

 Charing Cross or a species allied to it. 



Sub-order I. Bal.enoidea. 



Head large. Body stout. Dorsal fin none. Chest and belly smooth, 

 without plaits. Pectoral fin broad, truncated ; fingers five, 

 graduated. Arm-bones very short, thick ; radius and humerus 

 of equal length. Baleen elongate, slender. Tympanic bones 

 rhombic. Cervical vertebras united. 



Family I. Bal^nid^ (Right Whales).— Head very large, and 

 body short. Dorsal fin none. Belly smooth. Baleen elongate, 

 slender. Vertebrae of the neck anchylosed. Pectoral fin broad, 

 truncated at the end; fingers five. Tympanic bone rhombic; 

 maxillary bones narrow. 



i, Bal^na.— Baleen thin, polished with a thick enamel on each 

 side, and a fine elongate slender fringe. Cervical vertebra united 

 by their bodies into one mass. 



