Cetacea. 
-MAMMALIA. Cetacea. 
cxsv 
age velocity of seven or eight miles an hour. The 
usual rate, however, at wliicli it swims, wlien on 
passage from one situation to another, seldom ex- 
ceeds four miles an hour. They are capable, how- 
ever, of darting through the water witli the velocity 
of the fastest ship under sail, and of ascending 
with such rapidity as to leap out of water.” This 
species usually remains on the surface to breathe 
about two minutes, seldom longer. During this time 
it blows eight or nine times, and then descends for 
an interval usually of five or ten minutes, and some- 
times, when feeding, fifteen or twenty minutes. This 
is the opinion of shrewd observers; and Scoresby 
adds: “The Right Whales have no voice, but, in 
blowing, make a loud noise. The vapor they eject 
rises several yards, and appears at a distance like a 
puff of smoke.” 'I’he deptli which they attain, when 
struck with tlie harpoon, is said to be, fully a mile at 
times ; and some observers record broken jaws and 
crowns, which accidents are attributed to the force 
with which they dive, even striking the rocky bot- 
tom. Whales are said to sleep in calm weather. 
Such an occurrence was observed among the ice- 
floes of Baffin’s Bay. The food of these Whales is 
most remarkable, considering their wonderful bulk. 
They have no teeth, and their tliroat is extremely 
small ; conseciuently they cannot prey on the larger 
marine animals. They feed in certain regions called 
by sailors “ Green Water.” Captain Scoresby ex- 
amined this water. He says : “ It forms, perhaps, 
one-fourth of the Greenland Sea, between the par- 
allels of 74'^ and 80'^. Tliougli liable to shift by the 
currents, yet it is always found near certain situa- 
tions. It is an olive-green, and of decided opacity.” 
Captain Scoresby found that this color of the water 
was due to innumerable animalcules, most of them 
microscopic ; the greater number being Medusw. 
These constitute the food of this enormous crea- 
ture, the Great Greenland Whale. With mouth 
wide open, it swoops through this sea of living 
forms, and fills its enormous mouth ; then, by an ex- 
pulsive movement, the water is strained through tlie 
whalebone sieves and rejected, the jelly-fish food 
passing through the small swallow passage to the 
stomach. 'I’he period of gestation is thought to be 
about nine months, and one only is produced at a 
birth. At the time of birth, tlie young is ten to 
fourteen feet in length. 'I’he cub is supposed to ac- 
company the parent about a year, as the balsen 
does not reach a sufficient size to enable it to pro- 
vide its own food before that time. It appears to 
attain its full growtli at the age of twenty or 
twenty-five years ; its full age is thought to be very 
great. The attachment of the parent for its cub is 
very marked and interesting ; the whalers often take 
advantage of this fact to capture the dam. Captain 
Scoresby speaks with much feeling of the affection 
displayed, and the anxiety of the dam when the 
young is in danger of capture. 'I'he great creature 
becomes insensible of danger, and sacrifices every- 
thing to secure its young. 'I’his species, though 
sometimes found in company, yet is generally found 
solitary, or in pairs. 'I'he products of this Whale 
are all important to the inhabitants of the Arctic 
regions. 
Captain Scammon, in his great work on the 
Marine Mammals of the North-west Coast of Amer- 
ica, relates that this Whale has been observed to 
remain on the bottom an hour and twenty minutes 
after being struck, and then to come to the surface 
completely covered with mud. 'I’he Arctic Bow- 
head, according to Captain Scammon, is comparative- 
ly free from parasitic animals. A species of Cyamus 
is seen, in some cases, about the fins or head. 'I'he 
range of this Whale is from east to west, from 
Nova Zembla to the coast of Eastern Liberia. 
Dr. Gray, in his Supplement to Catalogue of 
Seals ami Whales, records, as ranking next to the 
present species, the following, which inhabits the 
Mediterranean Sea : 
THE MEDITERKANEAH WHALE [Bakma Medi- 
terranea). 
Balcena angulata is next given, with its habitat 
as the North Sea. 
Balmna nordcaper is another, named by Bonnat, 
which is synonymous with B. islandica of Brisson 
and B. biscayensis of Eschrcht. 'I'his may be 
called 
THE NORDCAPER {Balmna nordcaper, Bonnat ). — 
'I’his species is reputed as much more active than the 
Greenland Whale, much quicker in its movements, 
and consequently more difficult to capture. It is 
smaller, and has less blubber than the last-mentioned. 
Its head is shorter, also, and it has less of the 
whalebone. It is infested with a parasitic Cirriped, 
which attach themselves in great numbers around 
the head and fins. It is regarded as a regular inhab- 
itant of the temperate portions of the North Atlantic. 
NeO BALMNA. 
In this genus the skull is somewhat depressed, 
with brain cavity nearly as long as the beak, de- 
pressed, and much expanded on the sides, with a 
very deep notch on the middle of each side, over the 
condyles of the lower jaw, and with a sub-triangular 
crown-plate. 'I’he nose is as broad as the expanded 
brain cavity at the base, regularly attenuated to a 
fine point in front, and slightly arched downwards. 
'I’he lower jaw is luminar, compressed and high ; 
the upper edge is thin, and inflexed the greater part 
of its length, and is erect in front ; the lower edge is 
inflexed in front, the rest of the edge being simple. 
'I’he baleen is elongate and slender, several times as 
long as broad, with a fringe of a single series of fine 
fibres ; the enameled surface is smooth and thick. 
ANTARCTIC RIGHT WHALE [Neobalcena Margin- 
ata. Gray). — 'I’his is regarded by whalers as the 
representative of the Right Whale in the Antarctic 
seas. It is not over sixteen feet in length, but has 
the reputation of furnishing the “ most beautiful, 
the most elastic, most flexible, and the toughest 
whalebone or baleen yet discovered.” 
Eubal.® N A. — Gray. 
'I’his genus is placed by Gray in a group that has 
i thick baleen, with no polish, but with a thick, coarse 
