Ago TIN-BACKED MYSTICETE. 



he can beat it all in shatters at a blow," 'the 

 desire of gain however is a sufficient temptation 

 to those who undertake this fishery, and the pro- 

 fits seldom fia.il to recompence their labours. 



Though the chief residence of this and most 

 other Whales is in the polar regions, yet they 

 sometimes stray into more temperate latitudes, 

 and are occasionally seen in very dilferent parts 

 of the ocean from those in which they generally 

 reside. 



Tlie Whale is one of those animals which were 

 once considered as royal dishes ; and we are inform- 

 ed tliat in ancient times, whenever one happened 

 to be thrown on the British coast, the King and 

 Queen divided the spoil ; the King asserting his 

 right to the head, and her Majesty to the taiP. 



FiN-BACKED MYSTICETE, 



Balaena Physalus. jB. Jistula duplici in medio capite, dorso ex» 

 tremopima adiposh. Lift. Syst. Nat, p. 106. 



Mysticete with double spiracle on the head, and a fatty fin at 

 the lower part of the back. 



Balaena tripinnis ventre laevj. Bris. Regn. Anim, p, 352. n. ^, 



Physalus bellua, s. Physeter. Gesn. Aqmt.p* 851. 



Finnlisch. Mart. Spitsh. p. 12^. t. 2, 



This species is of a much more slender form 

 than the preceding, which it equals in length : 

 the head is rather narrow, the mouth very wide, 



^ Blackst. Comm. i. c. 4. Brit. Zool. &c. 



