CO885-(23-24) — Page 203

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :---

C.O. 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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APPENDICES

Males. No. 31 (403′):-Black above; white beneath, with two irregular black bands running one between penis and anus, one near base of flukes; many black spots and blotches on underside and beneath flippers.

49 (35'):-Mainly black, with white underside to flippers and

irregular spots and blotches of white on underside.

53 (49-5′):—Almost black, with a very few white spots beneath

and white underside to flippers.

57 (45-5′):-

:--As last; penis not pigmented.

62 (45′):-As last.

70 (45-75'):-Black above with a few small splashes of white; irregularly white below; dorsal marked with white; flipper bi-coloured.

109 (28'):-Mostly black.

162 (445'):-Nearly black, with undersides of flippers white, and

white specks and spots elsewhere.

182 (45-75'):-Black, with white under tail and flippers, white lines on throat folds, and two long, ovate, white spots external to genitals and navel; all the white irregular.

194 (28):--Black, with white specks and splashes below; some

white under tail: flippers white below, also partly above.

:-Black above; much white below, including underside of flippers and tail.

212 (455)

225 (25′):

-Almost black; flippers bi-coloured; no white under tail. 226 (44'):-Black, with usual inferior specks, bi-coloured flippers,

some white under tail, and two genito-navel white patches.

Females. No. 13 (47):-Dusky, variably white beneath.

14 (49-75'):- -"All dusky; belly and flippers mottled with white." 28 (346):-Black, except for white underside of flippers and a

few abdominal splashes of white.

48

(45′):-Black above, irregularly white below.

52 (38.25'):-Nearly black, with white underneath to flippers and

a few white specks on underside.

54 (43-75'):-Dark as in No. 53.

59 (45-5'): Black, with a few inferior-side specks (of white); underside of flippers white, and much white on their upper- sides also.

69 (435'):-Black, heavily spotted with white below; flippers usual

bi-colour.

94 (42'):-Black; white under tail and two large blotches under belly between navel and genitals; white under flippers and irregular speckles and blotches everywhere.

106 (46-5'):-Black; with two large white patches between genitals and navel, and a large white patch on breast; usual white under flukes and irregular splashes of white.

126 (48'):-Black, with very little white on dorsal and ventral sur-

faces; underside of flippers white.

151 (47')-Black above; underside of body and flippers white with

black patches.

152 (46'):-Black, with a few white splashes on underside; flippers

as usual.

153 (48'): Black, with a very little white on underside and some

white underneath flippers.

181 (39-75'):--Black, with white spots and splashes; black under

tail.

189 (435)-Black; irregularly white below and under flippers. 206 (42): Black above and below, but with white flecks on under- side and some white under tail and on both sides of flippers. 210 (34):-Black; some white below, and under tail; flippers bi-

coloured.

217 (49-5′):-Black above; much white beneath and under flippers

and tail. Beautiful violet colour between throat pleats.

APPENDICES.

81

Females. No. 222 (33-25'):-Black, with some white under tail and a good many

white marks below; flippers bi-coloured.

223 (52′):—Black above; flippers bi-coloured; some white under tail; two genito-navel patches and much irregular white on throat pleats; all white irregular.

288 (40'):-Black; irregular spots of white on underside and one

near mandibular symphysis; flippers nearly white.

239 (365'):--Black, some white under tail; two large genito-navel patches and a heavy sprinkling of white on throat pleats; flippers bi-coloured.

249 (95'): Black; some white under tail; two large genito-navel patches and much white in stripes or spots in region of throat pleats; flippers bi-coloured.

251

(45′):-Black; pectorals irregularly bi-coloured; no other white, except rather numerous white specks in region of pleats.

260 (48):-A few white flecks under propeller and pleats; flippers

bi-coloured.

276 (33′):-Black, with white flecks in region of throat pleats. and

bi-coloured flippers.

288 (45′):-Black; white specks on navel and genitals, and a few

on throat pleats; flippers bi-coloured.

295

(27.5):-Black, with large confluent genito-navel patches of white; a large patch posterior to and including the anus, and white spots on anterior pleats and mandibular keel; flippers irregularly bi-coloured, the white overflowing to upper surface.

297 (41'): Black and white, more or less irregularly divided between the two surfaces; the white being also under the tail and flippers; the infolds of the pleats mostly black, and a black band passing under the body behind the anus.

Mörch (Proceedings Zoological Society, 1911, p. 689) says:—

An interesting phenomenon is observed from South Georgia relating to the humpback whales. At certain times all the humpbacks that are brought in have the belly nearly white; this variety may then disappear and those caught for some time may have the belly marbled; schools with their bellies entirely dark may then put in an appearance, succeeded by the first variety, and so on. At South Shetland I also observed these several varieties of the humpback, although they did not there appear in distinct schools, but mingled." A similar statement is made by Risting (see Appendix II., p. 180, below). The whales enumerated above may perhaps be classified as follows:-

White-bellied, males :-Nos. 81, 70, 212.

Females :-Nos. 151, 189, 217, 297.

Marble-bellied, males:-Nos. 7, 17, 27, 182, 194, 226.

Females:-Nos. 13, 14, 48, 69, 94, 106, 222, 228, 238, 239, 249, 295. Black-bellied, males:--Nos. 5, 49, 53, 57, 62, 109, 162, 225.

Females:-Nos. 28, 52, 54, 59, 126, 152, 153, 181, 206, 210, 251,

260, 276, 288.

In the run of these numbers, and the dates of the captures, there is some evidence that the herds are segregated in schools of similarly coloured individuals. Goodall (Zoologist, 1913, p. 205) describes the South African humpbacks as above, including upperside of flippers, uniformly black; below white marbled with black streaks and blotches (including folds and under jaw); flippers white beneath. "This was the colour of all the humpbacks I saw at Durban." The flippers are therefore bi-coloured as in the great majority of the South Georgia specimens.

Collett (Norges Pattedyr, p. 611) describes the northern humpbacks as follows:- The colour, without regard to sex or age. is most variable. The upper side is, however, with us nearly always brownish black, as are the sides of the lower jaws; the pectoral fin is most often nearly quite white, as well on the upper as on the lower side. The belly is usually white-mottled, with larger or smaller spots, patches, or marblings of white on the black ground- colour; more rarely quite dark-bellied individuals are found. The flukes are above essentially black, below white: but here also there is much variation.