131 



state, lies in the presence or absence of the longitudinal folds of the 

 skin along the throat and belly, and this distinction having been founded 

 upon a palpable error in respect to the first-named animal, utterly faUs 

 to prove their non-identity. As silence is generally understood to give 

 consent, so we may conclude that the quality of the baleen, and the 

 general habits of these cetaceans are the same ; for no allusion is made 

 to either by this writer, so well acquainted with these whales, further 

 than that the fisheries vary about a week in time at Bahia and Cara- 

 vellas, a matter of but little consequence, except to show that the dates 

 of the periodic migration to the Brazils coincide nicely with the time 

 of the whaling season at Bermuda, viz., " from March to end of May, 

 when they leave." — (G-ray.) 



I'amilyXV. AGAPHELID^.^ 



SoEAG Whales. 

 Baleen narrow, short, and curved ; dorsal fin, none ; pectoral fin 

 lanceolate, four-fingered ; head less than one-fourth of the entire length 

 of body ; throat and chest smooth, not plaited ; cervical vertebrae, free ; 

 body slender, elongate. 



AGAPHELrs^ GiBBOSirs,'' Erxleben. The Scrag Whale. 



Synonyms — Balcena gibbosa, Erxl. Gray, S. & W., p. 90. 



Agaphelus gihhosus, Cope. Gray, Suppl. S. & W., p. 48. 

 Scrag Whale. Dudley. 



" The baleen is peculiar ; throughout the length of the maxiUary 

 bone it nowhere exceeded 1 foot in length, and the width of the ba,nd, 

 or length of the base of each plate, 4 inches. It is of a creamy white ; 

 the fringe very coarse, white, and resembling hog's bristles." (Cope.) 



" Instead of a fin upon its back, the ridge of the after-part of its 

 back is scragged with half-a-dozen knobs or knuckles. His bone 

 (whalebone) is white and won't spUt." (Dudley.) 



Length, about 50 feet. 



Inhab. North Atlantic. 



A&APHELTJS GLATJCTJS, Cope. Californian Grey Whale. 



Synonyms — Aga/phelus glaucus. Cope. 



BhacUanectes glaucus. Cope. Gray, Suppl., p. 48. 

 " 145 laminte of baleen on each side, the longest 18 inches long ; 

 colour, bright yellow." (Cope.) 

 Inhab. . California. 



' aya, greatly, and a<pe\^5, simple ; i.e., witliout folds on tlie tliroat and without a 

 doraal fin. 



* From ffibhus, a bunch or STrelling on the bac4, 



