150 BAL^NOPTEEID^. 



of young herrings, multitudes of whieh it was seen to devour. — 

 Couch, Cornish Fauna, 9. 



Several specimens of this enormous species are seen on the Cornish 

 coast every year, feeding on the smaller gregarious fishes. — Couch, 

 Cornish Fauna. 



Mr. Heddle ohserves, " The pectorals (of this and the Laman 

 Whale) measured from tip to head of humerus exactly -^ths of the 

 length of the body. The head of each bears very nearly the same 

 proportion to the whole length. The cervical bones were so alike 

 that one drawing would do for either, except with some very minor 

 diiferences. In the Laman Whale the upper and lower transverse 

 processes of the fifth cervical vertebra are united, and the lower 

 process of the sixth is short, whereas in the Copinshay Whale the 

 transverse processes of the fifth are not united, and the lower process 

 of the sixth is as long as those of the third, fourth, and fifth." 



The comparative union and disunion of the processes of the second 

 vertebra, the comparative length of the processes as regards the 

 body of the vertebrse, and the form of the angular aperture of the 

 ring appear to constitute the best characters for the separation of 

 the species. 



" The Orkney Whales seem to resemble P. Boops of the Museum 

 Catalogue in some respects, but then the processes are longer, and 

 the wing of the second cervical vertebra in the Orkney Whales, with 

 its perforation, is very different from the short development of the 

 second cervical in P. Boops. In P. antiquorum the processes rise 

 from the plane of the body of the vertebrse; in the Laman and 

 Copinshay Whale they fall (see figs. P. Z. S. 1856, pp. 195, 196). 

 In fact, in some points the Orkney Whales seem to connect the 

 characters of the two sections of Dr. Gray's genus Physcdus, resem- 

 bling, however, P. Boops more than P. antiquorum. The colours of 

 the whale were identical with those of the Laman Whale. The 

 under jaw is wider. The length fi-om the tip of the under jaw to 

 the notch in the tail is 45^ feet, from tip of upper jaw to eye 8^ feet, 

 to anterior pectoral 15 feet, tip of lower jaw to penis 28 feet, to 

 anus 31 1 feet, length of pectoral to anterior junction 4^ feet, length 

 of cranium 10^ feet. 



" The epidermis was ^th of an inch thick, easily torn, and finely 

 striated, except on the fins, tail, jaws, lips, (fee. Where black, the 

 pigment was easily removed by washing, and from the inner surface 

 was readily communicated to the fingers. 



" Where the body was black, the furrows and their interspaces 

 were black also, being covered with skin of the same texture as the 

 body. Where the black of the body began to wash off into the 

 white of the lower parts, the furrows were black and the interspaces 

 pure white. On the lower surface, where the colour was white, the 

 plio£e when separated were lined with a rosy epidermis. Vertebras 

 62 : viz. cervical 7, dorsal 15, lumbar and caudal 40 ; the last not 

 larger than a walnut, and partly cartilaginous. The last six di- 

 minished in circumference very rapidly. Eibs 15 . 15 ; the first 

 pair simple, the second, third, and fourth with necks directed for- 



