126 ON A FEMALE SPECIMEN OF THE COMMON RORQUAL
have a good inspection and take some measurements. A few days
later Mr. E. A. Fitch, who had examined and identified it on
the Friday, made further measurements and notes, and I am
indebted to him for thus enabling me to prepare a measured drawing
of this Rorqual in illustration of these notes. The original scale is
1/4-inch = 1 foot ; and as the drawing has been reduced one-half in
length, the scale of the accompanying illustration is 1/8 inch = 1 foot.
Two photographs were taken by Mr. A. H. Willott, of Maldon,
showing the dead whale on the side of the sea wall, but in these the
animal is very much foreshortened.
The following are the chief measurements :—
The general colour of the upper portion, the dorsal fin, the band
of the lower jaw on the left side and the sides of this Rorqual were
blackish-slate; and the under part white nearly to the tail. The
underside of the pectoral fins and flukes were white, showing also
a margin of white on the upper surface.
The baleen, the blades of which numbered about 350 on each
side, are delicate slate-colour, mottled with lighter streaks, with the
exception of about two feet (part of the row measuring 8ft. 6in.) in
front on the right side which are whitish or drab-white.
It is a well-known fact that the colour of the skin of whales