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DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERS OF BRITISH CETACEA. 3 
BRITISH CETACEA. 
I. MYSTACOCETI, Whalebone Whales. 
Dee eee ee 
FAMILY. GENUS. SPECIES. ENGLISH NAME. 
Greenland Right Whale 
Atlantic Right Whale 
Hump-backed Whale 
Common Rorqual 
Sibbald’s Rorqual 
Rudolphi’s Rorqual 
BaLzNIDE Balena mysticetus, Linn. 
” ” biscayensis, Eschr. 
BaLZNoprerip”| Megaptera boops, Fab. 
musculus, Linn. 
Sibbaldii, Gray 
laticeps, Gray 
s Balenoptera 
” ” 
” ” 
rostrata, Fab. Lesser Rorqual 
” 2” 
II. ODONTOCETI, Toothed Whales. 
PHYsETERIDE | Physeter macrocephalus, Lin. | Sperm Whale, or Cachelot 
s Hyperoodon rostratus, Chemn. | Beaked Whale, or Bottle-head 
+ si latifrons, Gray Broad-fronted Beaked Whale 
> Ziphius cavirostris, Cuy. Cuvier’s Whale 
a Mesoplodon bidens, Sowerb. Sowerby’s Whale 
DELPHINDE Monodon monoceros, Linn. Narwhal 
Delphinapterus leucas, Pallas 
White Whale, or Beluga 
Se Orca gladiator, Lacep. Grampus, or Killer 
“ Grampus griseus, Cuv. Risso’s Grampus 
=f Globiocephalus | melas, Trail. Pilot Whale — Ca aa» 
a Phocena communis, Cuv. Porpoise 
“5 Delphinus delphis, Linn. Common Dolphin 
oe 3 tursio, Fab. Bottle-nosed Dolphin 
Fs 5 acutus, Gray White-sided Dolphin 
” albirostris, Gray 
White-beaked Dolphin 
Family BALZNID. 
Genus Balena, Linneus. 
The members of this genus, which includes the Greenland and 
Atlantic Right Whales, are characterized by the absence of any 
dorsal fin, and by having the skin of the under parts perfectly 
smooth, instead of being pleated or disposed in folds, as in the Fin 
Whales, or Rorquals. The rostrum of the skull is compressed and 
rounded, and the rami of the lower jaw strongly arched outwards. 
The baleen, or whalebone, is long; the flippers short. 
