ON BELMULLET WHALING STATION. 129 



Sperm WJiales (P. macrocephalns L.). 

 The four examples brought in this year were all taken after I had 

 left Blacksod. 



V. General Observations. 

 (1) B. physalus L. 



(a) Coloration. — I managed to obtain some idea of the colour 

 distribution on the dorsal surface. I believe that the general pattern, 

 if it may so be termed, is not the result of individual peculiarity, but 

 characteristic of the species. It is only in the most recently killed 

 specimens that any accurate observations can be made, as exposure to 

 light and decomposition blacken the dorsal surface. The latter agent 

 also destroys the skin by the formation beneath it of bubbles, which 

 generally contain fluid much discoloured by blood. 



Figure 3 is from a sketch made partly from a photogi-aph and partly 



Fig. 3. — B. fhysalus. Dorsal surface, showing colour markings, j 

 1 inch = 12 feet approximately. 



from sketches made on the flensing plane. The actual tint of the 

 pigmented parts of the whales is a -pale leaden grey, not nearly approach- 

 ing black, which varies in depth in the manner shown. It is note- 

 worthy that the pale area of the upper surface of the rostrum is asym- 

 metrical. It extends, behind the blowholes, almost to the middle line 

 from the right, whereas on the left it falls short of doing so by a notice- 

 able distance. The pale area behind the eye extends some distance 

 down the pectoral fin, and the somewhat lighter, narrow line which 

 divides it from the darker colour of the dorsal surface is continued 

 across the limb to the anterior margin of the same. 



(b) Scars. — As has been noticed in other years, scars of various sorts 

 are not infrequently observed. Some of these take the form of long 

 scratches which might be caused by the whale cutting itself on rocks 

 when diving in shallow water. On whale 14 $ , there was an unhealed 

 wound on the right side of the tail, about 20 in. from the anterior 

 margin of the fluke. It was oval in shape, and about 2| in. long by 

 about If in. broad. The right flipper of whale No. 19 had been broken 

 off at some time during the animal's hfe. The stump was only 3 ft. 8 in. 

 long, and partly healed over. 



I was informed by one of the Norwegians that he had frequently 

 seen whales which had a flipper damaged in this manner. 



1915. re 



