BRITISH MAMMALS 



Collett gives the colour of the upper parts as ' dark blue grey.' It 

 should be borne in mind that the effect of outdoor light gives the smooth 

 shining backs of all these whales a bluish cast. The baleen blades, which 

 are of considerable value as whalebone, are black in colour, with the bristly 

 parts yellowish white. 



Little was known about this Rorqual till the Norwegians started their 

 whaling stations about the North Cape in the early ' eighties ' of last 

 century, when it was found to be a regular visitor to these northern 

 waters in the summer months. 



In 1885 no less than 771 were taken off the coast of Finmark, and 

 large catches have been obtained in recent years in the neighbourhood 

 of St. Kilda and north of the Shetlands. From May till August it 

 appears to be common in some seasons in these northern waters, but 

 according to Flower and Lydekker it has not been found south of Biarritz. 



Westwards it is plentiful at times on the coasts of Newfoundland and 

 Labrador. 



In habits this species does not appear to differ much from the other 

 Rorquals, but it may be distinguished when at the surface of the water 

 by the fairly large falcate dorsal fin. 



According to Collett, its food consists of small crustaceans. 



THE LESSER RORQUAL. 



Balcenoptera acuto-rostrata, Lac^pede. 

 Plate 44. 



The Lesser Rorqual, also known as the Pike-whale, is distinguished 

 from the rest of the 'Ba/cenoptera by its much smaller size and also 

 by the white band across the upper side of the flippers. It measures 



68 



