116 “TERRA NOVA” EXPEDITION. 
The Blue Whale was nearly as common in the Ross Sea as the little Piked Whale. 
These two whales were often seen together, and they both appeared to be very fond of 
frequenting the pack-ice. 
Some of the Blue Whales which we saw were of very large size, and must have 
been fully 90 feet in length, or even more.” There was no mistaking these whales, with 
their characteristic dorsal fin situated well aft. (See Pl. VIL, fig. 1.) 
A young immature male of this species was taken off the Bay of Islands, New 
Zealand, during my visit to the Norwegian whaling station. This specimen was 
65 feet long. In general appearance it exactly resembled the individuals of this 
species which I had examined in the Northern Hemisphere. It was of a bluish grey 
colour with lighter flecks all over the body, which has been likened to the appearance 
of galvanised iron. The only white on the animal was on the underside of the 
flippers. The baleen-plates were entirely black, with coarse, black, curly bristles on 
their inner edges. The tongue was dark grey, and the palate was black. 
This whale is obtained off the South Shetlands, South Georgia, South America, 
South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.* 
6. Balaenoptera physalus,~ Linnaeus. 
July igs, USO ge EPO PIN, BIS BO MW | March 10, 1912. 70° 28'S., 174° 39! BH. 
October 6, ,, . « 41° 46)S:, 121° 39' H: | December!25, 4, 5 =. 62e 20ES Salo ome 
December 5, ,, . . 56° 41’ S., 176° 23’ E.? | -March 24, 1913. 55° 55' S., 152° 39’ W. 
March 9 191 . . 6725'S. 160240) Ee |) Atpril Bh gp 52° 03’ S., 63° 46’ W. 
January 5, 1912 . . 72° 19'S., 172° 05' B ? | 33 We} 55 ADS 09ESe Dom Dae 
acne. 75° 23'S., 164° 39’ E.? 
The Common Rorqual, or “ Finner,” appeared to be very scarce in the Ross Sea. 
We only saw this whale eleven times during the whole progress of the Expedition, and 
on some of these occasions the determination was not certain. The doubtful occurrences 
have been marked in the list with a note of interrogation, 
I saw a stranded member of this species at Stewart Island, in March, 1911, and 
although it was very much decomposed there was no doubt about the determination. 
One of these whales was caught off the Kermadec Islands in October, 1912; I did not 
see it, but was assured by the whalers that it was indistinguishable from the 
“ Finners ” which they are accustomed to take im the Northern Hemisphere. 
This whale used to be very common off the Falkland Islands, but it is said to 
have become scarce there of late years. It is taken off the coasts of South America, 
South Africa, South Georgia, and the South Shetlands. But it is evidently not fond of 
ice-covered seas, as has been remarked by M. Racovitza.§ 
* Racovitza, E., op. cit., p. 54. See also Liouville, J., op. cit., p. 73. 
+ Or Balaenoptera musculus, auctt. 
{ Parker, T. J., Trans. New Zealand Inst., 1884, Vol. XVII., pp. 3-13. 
§ Racovitza, E., op. cit., p. 55. See also Liouville, J., op. cit., p. 86. 
