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THE FIN WHALE FISHERY IN NORTH LAPLAND. SEF., 1B89. 
Briefly, the characteristics of these species are as follows : 
Megapterci hoops, the “Humpback.” Average length 45ft. to 
50ft. Head large in proportion to body ; tail broad ; the 
flippers enormously long (often about 15ft.), narrow, serrated 
along the anterior margin, with large knobs along the edges ; 
colour jet black above, and white mostly below, flippers 
usually for the most part gleaming white ; baleen short and 
entirely black, the bristles forming the fringe short and coarse, 
and of a dirty brownish white ; body stout and comparatively 
short; the pleats on the belly broad. 
Balcenoptera musculus, Common Rorqual. Average length 
60ft. to 70ft, but often considerably more. Long and com¬ 
paratively slender body ; flippers very short ; colour deep 
greyish slate above, white below, flippers rather lighter than 
the upper part; the pleats on the under surface narrower and 
more numerous than in the Humpback ; baleen black on the 
outer edge, becoming slate colour towards the middle, and 
striped with yellow on the inside ; bristles coarse, and light 
coloured, the plates short. (The name Rorqual is derived 
from the Norwegian “ Rorq lival '” = a whale with pleats or 
folds in the skin). 
B. Sihbaldii, “Blue Whale,” averages 60fc. to 80ft. in 
length, being the largest of the whale family. Head broad ; 
flippers large ; dorsal fin extremely low ; robust build ; colour 
deep bluish slate above, slightly paler below, no white except 
on underside of flippers ; baleen jet glossy black, including 
the bristles ; plates broad. 
B. borealis, Rudolphi’s Rorqual. Average length 35ft. to 
45ft. Head broad ; dorsal fin small, but comparatively 
higher than in B. musculus ; flippers long and broad, pointed 
at the ends ; colour black above, light colour below, flippers 
usuallv black on the outer and white on the inner surfaces ; 
baleen black, with white bristles, these being of much finer 
texture than in the other species. 
B. rostrata. As the Lesser Rorqual is not regularly 
hunted off these coasts, no particulars need be here given of 
this small species. 
In habits these species differ slightly, though they seem 
for the most part to be governed by the same general instincts, 
and their movements and modes of living are to a very great 
extent the same. The range of the different species varies 
considerably. A difference is seen in their action in the 
water. In “ sounding,” that is diving straight downwards, 
the Humpback almost invariably disappears vertically, tossing 
the flukes of the tail high in the air; the Blue Whale 
