124 REPORTS ON THE STATE Of SCIENCE. 



Specimens of the ducts with surrounding tissue were taken both 

 from adult and foetus. 



VI. The Eye. 



The general appearance of the eye in situ was noted. It is very 

 similar in B. musculus and B. sibbaldii. There is a definite series of 

 furrows in the integument round the eye. The skin all around the eye 

 is almost invariably of the uniform dark blue-grey colour. The eyelids 

 are fairly full. 



It was found almost impossible, in the short time which could be 

 given to the examination in any one specimen, to observe the muscula- 

 tion and innervation of the eye in situ on account of the large amount 

 of fatty tissue, &c, round the eyeball. 



Specimens were taken from adults, and whole eyes from the foetus 

 also, and on closer examination of these more information may be 

 obtained. 



VII. Contents of Stomach. 



The contents of the stomach were examined in nearly every case. 



B. musculus. — In the first three whales examined (captured on 

 June 29 and July 3) the stomach and pharynx were found to contain 

 large numbers of fish (presumably herrings) up to 5 inches in length. 

 In all other whales examined up to the present the stomachs have con- 

 tained a varying quantity of small red Crustacea. In the intestines 

 these are reduced to a terra-cotta coloured fluid in which the eyes of the 

 Crustacea appear as floating blue spots. The faeces consist of a semi- 

 solid terra-cotta mass. Specimens of the contents of the stomach both 

 in the case of fish-feeding and crustacea-feeding have been preserved. 



B. sibbaldii appear never to feed on anything but the small Crus- 

 tacea (the ' krill ' of the whalers). 



VIII. Parasites. 



1. The Baleen of both B. musculus and B. sibbaldii is generally 

 largely covered with the Copepod Balcenophilus unisetus. These are 

 apparently always to be found on B. sibbaldii. In the case of B. mus- 

 culus they are sometimes almost absent. Both the nauplius larvae 

 and adults can be detected. When comparatively few of these parasites 

 are present they are generally on the inner part of the baleen plates. If 

 larger numbers of the younger stages are present, they appear to be 

 chiefly on the outer part of the plates. 



2. The Body. — B. sibbaldii: No external parasites on body wall 

 were found in any specimen. B. musculus : In some cases the para- 

 sitic Cirripede Pennella batcenoptera (Kov. & Dan.) was found. The 

 external portions of these averaged about 6 inches in length. They 

 are generally found in a position not far behind the ear, but in some 

 cases were found fairly high up on the side nearer the tail. The 

 greatest number found on one whale was five. 



3. The Gut. — No parasites were found in the gut of B. musculus. 

 In some parts of the gut of B. sibbaldii large numbers of parasites were 

 found. They appear superficially to be of two kinds, one of which 

 is very like the Echinorhynchus described by Professor Collett in Bal<z- 

 noptera borealis (Proc. Zool. Soc, 1886). 



