THE HUMPBACK WHALE. 41 



lower one about fifteen inches. The tongue and throat were of a leaden color. 

 The orbit of tlie eye was four inclies in diameter. The longest plate of bone, or 

 baleen, was two feet ; its color, black, with a fringe of lighter shade. 



2. Sex, female. Color of body, black, with slight marks of white beneath. 

 Color of pectorals, black above, white below. Color of flukes, Idack aljove and 

 below. Color of Ijlul^ber, white ; average thickness of same, six inches. Yield of 

 oil, thirty barrels. Gular folds, eighteen. Tubercles on lips, nine. 



Ft. In. rt. In. 



Length of animal 48 From nib- end to pectorals IG 6 



Length of pectorals 13 Notch of flukes to anus 11 



Breadth of pectorals 3 Notch of flukes to genital slit 12 



Thickness of pectorals 8 Length of longest baleen 2 9 



Expansion of flukes 14 Breadth of longest baleen 10 



Breadth of flukes 4 3 



3. Sex, female. Color of body, black al)ove, slightly mottled with white and 

 gray below. Fins and flukes, black aljove, white beneath. Color of Idubber, white ; 

 thickness of same, six to nine inches. Yield of oil, fort}- barrels. Number of 

 laminae, five hundred and forty ; black, streaked with white, or light lead color. 



Ft. In. Ft. In. 



Length of animal 52 End of loTrer jaw to eye 12 .5 



Length of pectoral 12 Length of longest baleen 2 8 



Width of j)ectoral 3 C Breadth of longest baleen 9 



End of lower jaw to spiracles 10 Length of fringe to baleen .5 



End of lower jaw to corner of mouth. . . 11 9 



It is proper to state, that the dimensions of the skull, or upper jaw-bone, of 

 any ordinary sized animal would be about fifteen feet long by six broad. The 

 lower jaw-bones, which are joined by a slight symphysis, are each about the same 

 lengtli in their curves, and are about one foot wide and eight inches thick midway 

 between the extremities. The thickness of the lumbar vertebra} is about eight 

 inches ; the distance between the points of the spurs, two feet eight inches ; and 

 the weight, twenty -four or more pounds. The largest ribs are from nine to twelve 

 feet long, measured on the curve, and ten to fifteen inches in circumference. The 

 aggregate we'glit of two well -dried specimens (measuring respectively nine and ten 

 feet) was eighty pounds. The first joint of the pectoral bones may be set down 

 at two and a half feet in length, and the same in circumference at its union with 

 the shoulder-blade. This section of the fin bones exceeds fifty pounds in weight. 



The usual color of the Humpback is black above, a little lighter below, slightly 

 marbled with white or gray ; but sometimes the animal is of spotless white under the 



Mabine Mammals. — G. 



