132 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.—1914. 
There are frequently extensive white patches on the dark area, 
caused by the chafing of the whale against the side of the steamer 
as it is being towed in. These, however, are easily distinguished from 
the naturally unpigmented areas. 
(b) Ventral Furrows.—In the Finner the number of pectoral furrows 
is exceedingly variable. We found a maximum of eighty-four, and a 
minimum of fifty-four. In nearly half of the cases a median furrow 
could be distinguished, the presence of which appears to have escaped 
notice up to the present. The number was estimated by finding the 
median furrow, and counting all those between it and the pectoral 
fin of the side which happened to lie uppermost. As the fin is 
approached the furrows become less marked, and it is not easy to 
discern the furrow nearest the fin. The skin in the axillary region 
is much folded longitudinally, which further complicates matters. 
By doubling the number of furrows thus counted and adding the 
unpaired median an estimate of the total number was made. The 
furrows in the smallest foetus (3 ft. 11 in.) were represented by 
mere lines, and could not be counted with accuracy. The folds of 
twenty-seven specimens were counted, of which twelve had no dis- 
tinguishable median furrow. The average depth of these furrows 
was about ‘68 in. (deduced from eight measurements), and the average 
horizontal distance between points above the middle lines of the same 
number of furrows was 1°85 in., varying from 1°37 in. to 1:96 in. These 
measurements were taken from a portion of blubber lying on the 
plane and not stretched in any way. 
Tt is essential that the counting should always be made in the 
same position, as some of the folds do not run the whole length of 
the furrowed area. There does, however, appear to be a certain 
amount of uniformity in the folding, the shorter folds corresponding 
with each other in different whales, if not with absolute accuracy, at 
any rate nearly so. 
(c) Tongue.-—The colour of the tongue as a whole is dark §rey, 
but the area which is the morphological upper surface, which is 
distinguishable from the morphological lower surface, shades off into 
pink towards the ‘ tip.’ 
2. Blue Whales (B. sibbaldii, Gray). 
Colouration.—The only point to which I wish to draw attention is 
that there are some curious markings on the skin, especially ven- 
trally, but not confined to that aspect. These markings take the form 
of curved, darker and lighter lines radiating from a common centre. 
The area of such markings is about 8 in. long and 4 in. wide. Where 
there is a number of markings crowded together, the appearance of 
the skin forcibly reminds one of the pattern produced on the surface 
of ‘ galvanised iron.” These markings occur in considerable abundance 
on large areas of the skin. 
3. Sejhval (B. borealis, Lesson). 
Exlernal Characters.—The solitary example of this species taken 
was a female. Although a small species (this specimen was only 
