a 
THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 93> 
mouth of the Whale would be simply a water-trap, forming 
an obstruction to the passage of the Whale. 
The Whalebone Whales all subsist upon the tiniest 
pelagic organisms. 
_. The Commercial Whales are well represented in the 
waters of New South Wales; at least six species of Whale- 
bone Whales, and one Toothed Whale, being more or less. 
abundant, and of commercial importance. These are as — 
follows :— 
(a) —WHALEBONE WHALES. 
1. SourHErN Rigut WHALE or Buack WHALE (Bala- 
ena australis). ; 
2. BuUE WHALE or ‘‘SuLpHURBOTTOM’’ (Balaenoptera 
musculus). — 
3. “Finner,’’ Common Frypack WHALE, OR BLACK 
~ Frysick (Balaenoptera physalus). : 
4. Potuack WHALE, or ‘‘Sernvan”’ (“Grey Frin- 
pack’? (Balaenoptera borealis). 
5. Lirrnn Pike WHALE, PIKED WHALE, oR ‘‘GRAMPUS’’ 
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata). — 
6. Humpspack WHALE (Megaptera nodosa). 
In addition to these, it is as well to mention that there 
is in these waters, also, a small mystacocetid known as the 
- Pigmy Right Whale (HZubalaena marginata). This is said = 
to rarely exceed a length of 20 feet. 
(b)—TOOTHED WHALES. 
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) . 
A small and highly interesting ally of this great whale, 
—known as the Pigmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps)— 
ig also worthy of mention, though it is of no commercial ; 
importance. ; : Peo ‘ 
The Southern Right Whale, though the richest as re- 
gards blubber, is not very abundant on the east coast of 
Australia. The most abundant whale is the Humpback, the 
next numerically in importance being the Black Fin-back 
and the Blue Whale. he Seihval is also fairly abundant. 
The great Sperm Whale, although it occurs in large 
schools, is not of very frequent occurrence on our coast,» 
except on the southernmost portions. 
