146 LECTURE IV. 



naean Balienae is- the B. rostrata, rostrated of 

 taper-snouted Whale. It seldom reaches to the 

 length of twenty feet, and is of an elegant shape, 

 its colour is blueish-black above, and white be- 

 neath, and the skin, from the throat to the middle 

 of the body beneath, is marked in a longitudinal 

 direction by very numerous, deep fufi'ows, the in- 

 sides of which are of a red colour: this furrowed 

 structure of the skin beneath the fore-parts of the 

 body, appears to be a wonderful institution of 

 Nature for enabling the animal to increase at 

 pleasure its diameter, and render itself specifically 

 lighter; by inflating a vast cavity situated beneath 

 the breast and communicating with the throat : 

 during this action the furrowed skin becomes ex- 

 tended laterally, and the insides of the furrows 

 being thus laid open, give the appearance of so 

 many beautiful red stripes, along the sides and be- 

 neath the bod}^ This curious structure, which, 

 perhaps, was first distinctly described by the late 

 Mr. Hunter, is not peculiar to the present species,, 

 but exists in some others'. The Rostrated Whale 

 is a native of the Northern seas, and has occasion- 

 ally been taken on our own coasts. 



The genus Physeter, containing what are- 



