158 CETACEA. 



within the gums ; the lower jaw is very narrow, the two 

 branches being in contact throughoiit the greater part of its 

 length, with from twenty to twenty-five small conical teeth 

 on each side, according to the age of the animal ; the eye 

 is small ; the eyelids are furnished with a few stiff hairs ; 

 the pectoral fins are small, and slightly grooved longi- 

 tudinally ; the caudal fin very broad, divided at the middle 

 into two equal lobes ; the general colour is greyish black 

 above, lighter beneath. 



The entire length of this huge animal sometimes reaches 

 70 feet. 



Inhabits the Northern Seas, where it is extensively fished 

 for ; has occurred a few times on the British coasts, and 

 occasionally finds its way into the Mediterranean. 



Professor Bell, in his ' History of British Quadrupeds,' 

 states, that from repeated reported instances of Spermaceti 

 "Whales having been seen with a very high narrow dorsal fin, 

 he is of opinion that a second species of Physeter exists, to 

 which he applies the name Physeter Tursio, or High-finned 

 Cachalot. 



Genus BALiENA. 



The head very large. Palate furnished with baleen or 

 whalebone. No teeth ; no dorsal fin. These are the true 

 "Whales. 



Balsena mysticetus. 



Balcsna mysticetus, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 798 ; Keys. u. Bias. Wirbelth. 



Europ. p. 75 ; Bell, Brit. Quad. 

 Common or Greenland Whale. 



Description. — The head, though large, is smaller in pro- 

 portion than in Physeter ; the upper jaw, which is very 

 narrow, is furnished, in the place of teeth, with numerous 

 horny laminoe, the whalebone of commerce, descending 

 perpendicularly from the palate. This apparatus serves as 



