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Show 1886.] MR. R. COLLETT ON BAL^ENOPTERA BOREALIS. 261 obtained on the same day both large and small foetuses. So far as my knowledge goes, a foetus has never been met with under 2 feet in length. The four foetuses examined by me were taken out between the 16th and 19th July, and were from 5 to 9 feet (1*5 to 2-8 m.) in length, as will be seen by the following measurements:- 16 July. 18 July. 19 July. No. I,?.No. 2, J. No. 3,d\ Total length Snout to angle of mouth Angle of mouth to flipper Length of the flipper Width of the flipper j Snout to the dorsal fin Dorsal fin to end of the tail Snout to the navel Greatest height of the body Height at the beginning of the dorsal fin Height at the middle of the tail The least height of the tail Length of each fluke millim. 1550 250 220 240 50 1030 520 760 240 170 140 100 200 millim. 1830 320 250 250 54 1180 650 940 300 230 160 120 250 18 July. No. 4, J. millim. 2410 410 350 370 1550 860 1230 330 220 millim. 2830 460 360 410 1810 1020 1340 390 320 2f0 170 340 The colour of these foetuses was homogeneous, a reddish-brown on the upper and under sides, without any appearance of white on the belly. It was only in the largest ones that there was any indication of the baleen. Their covering of hair, on the contrary, as previously stated, was considerable. T W I N S . - O n the 27th July, Capt. Bruun captured at the entrance to the Varangerfjord a female 43 feet long, which contained two young ones, each six feet seven inches long. So far as I know, twins have never been observed by others. XIII. Food. In all the examples I examined in the middle of July the stomach and intestines were filled with a fine gritty mass, which consisted entirely of Calanus finmarchicus1 (figs. F, G, p. 262). These were half digested, but among the hairs of the baleen-plates they occurred in great numbers and in a tolerable state of preservation. The faeces had the same intensely red colour as the contents of the intestines and stomach. Calanus finmarchicus is kuown to occur in two forms, one large, the other small. The form here met with was the latter. H o w far this Copepod formed the only nourishment of this species during the time they remained under the Finmark coast is doubtful. In East Finmark it probably formed their only 1 Monoculus finmarchicus, Gunnerius, 1765; Cyclops finmarchicus, Miill. Gunn.) Zool. Dan. Prodr. p. 201 (1776). |
