XII GREENLAND WHALE 359 



space. It is absolutely confined to the Arctic Ocean, and reported 

 occurrences on our coasts are due to a confusion with B. australis, 

 to be presently described. At the " Devil's Dyke," near Brighton, 

 there is, or was, the skull of a most flagrant Eorqual, which is 

 carefully labelled " Greenland Whale." This ^A'hale grows to a 

 length of 50, 60, rarely 70 feet. It is black in colour, save 

 for a white patch on the under side of the jaw. The head is 

 quite one-third of the body in length. There are a few scattered 

 hairs at the extremity of the jaws. The length of time which 

 this Whale can endure immersion has been variously stated. The 

 utmost limit of endurance is stated by iSeammon to be one hour 

 and twenty minutes. The pursuit of this Whale is attended by 

 dangers, not in the least because the animal is itself fierce and 

 ready to attack, but simply on account of the velocity with 

 which, and the great depth to which, it will dive, and also to the 

 huge muscular force which is exerted in its struggles to free itself 

 from the harpoons. It is indeed an extremely timid beast. It 

 has been remarked that " a bird alighting upon its back some- 

 times sets it off in great agitation and terror." Combined with 

 this timidity of disposition is an intense affection for its young, 

 " which would do honour," observed Scoresby, " to the superior 

 intelligence of human beings." Yet that trader and observer 

 goes on to remark that " the value of the prize cannot be 



sacrificed to feelings of compassion " ! The fact that this Whale 

 and its congener, B. australis, feed among swarms of minute 

 pelagic creatures, which they engulf in their huge mouths, led 

 the ancients to believe and assert that they fed upon water only. 

 When the Whale feeds it moves along with some velocity, taking 

 in huge mouthfuls of sea water with the contained organisms, 

 which are then strained off by the whalebone and left stranded 

 upon the tongue. 



Unlike its congener, the southern Eight Whale, B. australis} 

 is world-wide in distribution, avoiding only the Arctic regions. 

 Where the Greenland Whale is found B. australis does not exist. 

 The principal differences which it shows from B. mysticetus are 

 firstly in the relatively shorter head and shorter and coarser 

 whalebone. In the second place it has more ribs, fifteen pairs 

 as against thirteen ; but there is apparently some little confusion 

 in the matter of ribs. An additional rib at the end of the series 



' The name that has priority seems to be glacialis. 



