558 MR. W. R. B. OLIVER: REVIEW OF THE 



It is hoped, therefore, that the present paper will be found useful 

 in bringing together what is known on the subject, so that the 

 gaps in our knowledge may be filled up. A great deal of 

 information could be gained if, when a whale or dolphin is 

 stranded, a description and, if possible, a photograph were sent 

 to the nearest museum. By this means the animal might be 

 correctly identified, and if belonging to a rare species, steps might 

 be taken to preserve the skeleton. 



For supplying lists of specimens in the institutions under their 

 charge, I have to thank the Director, British Museum (Natural 

 History), London, the Secretary, United States National Museum, 

 Washington, D.O., and the Director, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, 

 Paris. 



Bal^NA. 



Bcdcena Linne, 1758, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, p. 75 ; type, B. onysticetus 

 L. Eubcdcena Gray, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 201 ; type, 

 Balcena australis Desmoulins. Caperea Gray, 1864, 1. c. p. 202 ; 

 type, Balcena antipodarum Gray. 



Bal^na australis. 



Balcena australis Desmoulins, 1822, Diet. Class. Hist. Nat. 

 vol. ii. p. 161 (Cape of Good Hope); Waite, 1909, Subant. Is. 

 N.Z. vol. ii. p. 549. Bcdcena, antipodum Gray, 1843, in DieJQfen- 

 bach's Travels in N.Z. vol. ii. p. 183 (New Zealand), pi. 1, 

 lettered B. antipodarumi. Caperea antipodarum Gray, 1866, 

 Cat. Seals & Whales Brit. Mus. p. 101 ; Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, 

 p. 143. Balcena antipodarum Gray, Dieffenbach, Travels in N.Z. 

 vol. i. p. 44; Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880, Osteogr. Cet. p. 46, 

 pi. 3. Eubalcena aiostrcdis Desm., Hector, 1872, Trans. N.Z. Inst, 

 ■vol. V. p. 156 ; id. 1878, 1. c. vol. x. p. 333. Balcena hectori Gray, 

 1874, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xiii. p. 56. Macleayius 

 ciustraliensis Gray, 1873, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xi. 

 p. 75; id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 130; id. 1874, Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst. vol. vi. p. 90, pis. 16, 17. 



The Southern Right Whale, which is confined to the South 

 Temperate and Subantarctic Oceans, appears to diflfer from the 

 Nordcaper {B. glacialis) in the number of ribs and other osteo- 

 logical features. It was formerly very abundant in the New 

 Zealand seas, but has been almost exterminated by whalers. 

 During the first half of last century immense numbers were killed, 

 and of these usually more than half were lost (see Hocken, Proc. 

 N.Z. Inst. vol. iii. p. 69, 1871). The females visited the bays to 

 calve during the months of May, June, and July, and during this 

 period both the cows and calves were killed. Later in the season 

 the whaling-vessels cruised in the " ofi'-shore grounds.'^ Whaling- 

 stations are at present established at Picton and Kaikoura, motor- 

 launches being engaged for procuring the whales. Five Right 

 Whales were brought into Picton in 1915-16 and one in 1917 ; 

 from the Kaikoura station three were killed in 1917-18. A 



