CBTACEA. 71 



like minute laminse or scales, and which may be seen by the aid of a 

 microscope to invest the free bristles at the fringed extremity of the 

 plate. We have often observed the facility with which some baleen 

 can be split np, and were struck with the fact that the baleen of 

 Balmna maximus would not spUt. The removal of the external 

 lamiaa ia the plate under description shows the cause of this : about 

 6J inches from the root of the plate, many of the bristles have 

 deviated from their direct parallel inclination, and become iatimately 

 twisted and interwoven with each other. It has been attempted to 

 prove the age of the Whale from an examiaation of the baleen, in the 

 same manner as we judge of the age of cattle by certain annulated 

 markings on the horns. On the plate before us we can distinctly 

 perceive numerous transverse lines crossing the course of the bristles 

 at right angles. If these transverse lines indicate a periodical check 

 to the growth of the baleen, then the age of the Balcena maximus 

 would be 800 to 900 years old, that being the number of transverse 

 lines on the longest plate of baleen. — Knox, Cat. Prep. Whale, 9. 



The baleen of the Balwnce is alone designated Whal^one (or rather 

 Whale-fin, as it is usually called) in commerce. The baleen of the 

 other genera of this family is called Finner-fin or Humpbaelc-fim,. 

 The wholesale dealers in baleen, in the ' London Directory,' are 

 eaUed Whale-fi/n Merchants, and whalebone occurs under the name 

 of Whale-fin in the ' Price-current.' In the ' London New Price- 

 current ' for 1843, the Sovth Sea Whale-fin varied during that year 

 from 200Z. to 306Z. per ton ; and there is no price named for Cfreen- 

 land Whale-fin. (See Maccull. Comm. Diet. i. 1344.) 



The baleen was formerly thought to be the tail of the animal. 

 (See Blackstone, Comment, i. 233, quoted by MaccuUoch, Comm. 

 Diet. i. 1344.) 



The skulls of the different genera differ considerably in external 

 form, from being nearly as wide as the lower jaw, as in Sibbaldius, 

 to being very narrow sp as only to form a narrow central arch, as 

 in Balcena. The genera may be thus arranged according to the 

 width of the skull :■ — 1. Sibbaldius ; 2. Balcenojptera ; 3." Megaptera ; 

 4. Physaltis ; 5. Bubalcena ; 6. Balcena. 



The width chiefly depends on the lateral expansion of the maxiUa. 

 In Balcena it is band-like ; and in Sibbaldius very broad, being more 

 than twice as wide as the intermaxillary bones. 



The food of the Whale is still a much-disputed point. It is now 

 generally admitted that the Mystketvs lives only on small Medusae^ 

 shrimps, <fec., but that the other species of Whalebone Whale devour 

 inconceivable quantities of fish ; for instance, M. Desmoulins states 

 that " 600 great cod and an immensity (probably as many thousand) 

 of pilchards have been found in the stomach of a single Rorqual." 



Mr. r. J. Knox, in dissecting ihsBdkena matcimus,i!7hicki&.a.Jtorgual, 

 saw no cavity in the course of the viscera which could have contained 

 six cod of ordinary size : that of B. minimus was empty, although' 

 the Pirth of Forth, particularly at and above Queensferry, abounds 

 at all seasons with herrings and other fishes and their fry. The want 

 of teeth by no means renders it impossible that the Balama with 



