ACCOUNT OF A FIN- WHALE lO'J 



wo^th probably a good deal more than the trifling 

 sum procured with so much labour and expense 

 from the blubber. Yet this source of profit, and 

 of agricultural improvement, seemed to have been 

 quite overlooked. 



In regard to the species, to which the whale, 

 which I have now imperfectly described, should 

 be referred, I shall state the result of my exami- 

 nation of the most recent book on this branch of 

 natural history, M. La Cepede's, Histoire des 

 " Cetacees." According to this author's new ar- 

 rangement of the Cete, it must belong to his 

 genus of Baleinoptera, or whales having whale- 

 bone in the mouth, and a fin on the back ; as the 

 termination ptera, from ifltpv, intimates. 



This genus is subdivided into two. 



ist, Those that have the skin of the thorax 

 smooth. 



id, Those that have folds or plica? on the tho- 

 rax. 



This last subdivision contains three species, 

 i. Baleinoptera jubartes, (Balaena boops), with 

 tuberosities near the blowholes. 2. Baleinoptera 

 rorqual, (Balaena musculus), with a very wide and 

 round under-j aw. 3. Baleinoptera acuto-rastrata, 

 " with both jaws pointed ; the upper a little 

 44 shorter, and considerably narrower than the 

 " under.' * This is announced by La Cepede as 



