Translation 2783

. .. 184
stripe across the, flipper, its width beiiij; from a few centi,,lotres to
two-tl-,^rds of the lenÛtli of the flipper. oômetimes, instead of the
white stripe, there are two or three grey s Lril;es ti•ritk_ a total width
of a few centi,netres.
Some 50 to 70 grooves extend along the lower surface of the
body at the level of the flir,pers, but only a fei; of tilur,l_ almost
reach the umbilicus, ^-ihich is located in the centax, of tne body.
The nu,--.aber of baleen plates varies from '266 to 295 (avera^.;e
275) in specimens from the nort'rler;i ;;art of t'rlc. Pe:cà.fic UceE,n, ïr.orn
270 to 348 (average 304) in those from the I,;ortl'1 Atlantic, and from
235 to 308 ^avera,:.;e 272) in those from the Antarctic. Ale plates are
,yellowish-white and 20-25 cm long in the nortilern 1_eulis!_Ahere, and.
white and dark-grey, and up to 30 cm long, ii. the sou.tiiez•1: hemisphere.
Sometimes some of the plates on the right side may be white, as in
the fin whale. The fringe on the plates is soft and fine, but short.
a-he outer edges of the plates may be almost black.
The dorsal fin is relatively 'tall, its height avera.;;ing up
to .3.
of the body length, and has a backwa-rcl-pointin& tip. It is
located at the beginl,ing of the posterior third of the bodyer.Lth,
in frunL of 'Ltou vr:r'l,ical lino .Cronl t.Yiu ana-1 03•ifice. ,.'},t Clukes ai--e
remarlc,able for their wide spread (as col.lpared with ot.iler rorquals),
which averages one-quarter of , the animal. I s body length.
. There are from 48 to. 50 vertebrae (seven cervical, 11 or 12
thoracic, 12 or 13 lumbar, and from 18 to 20 caudal).
This rorqual is coln:.ron from subtropical i:clgions to tile edges
of the ice-fields both in the northerrl and iii the southern hemisphere;;,
and is also found, thou,;}lrelatively rai'ely, in til:_ equatorial zone.
on the basis of a nuiube.r of features thrèe ûubspr_:cïes of this
whale are disting->tished: B. acutorostra.'ua aclltorostra'4a Lac. ' 1 8011.,
in the norther,l par-11 of the ,°,t.l.a.ntic Ocean; B. a. davi.üsoni.8carnrnan,
1874, in the *,,:.r ific Oceari; and B. a. bona.erensis _L,ur;:leister, 1E167,
in tac southc^311 harlisphere
O1â.11'C)1iDE'1'ti U1101+TCltil:i`l11 ('1'(_I(l'v11'i.!)
A ci'laraci:ex•i.:stic fen.i;ure 01' J;roup of rtil.i111^:.ls is 1:112•ir
po>se.>siorl of only one ,.:^,terne.l nasal o)_-ii'ice, oi
wit,, tl:o cUrlvk^:itY Lo Lite rttal'; llt tÿiE. t3]?eria vdllalC' only it in i-:.ilai)ed
and lies not at i;h( ver,'Lex but a.lillost e.L tj,u i,,ick of Lite ilr.;icl, oll tue