  Features in the zero sound attenuation near the pair-breaking edge in
superfluid $^3$He-B have been observed in large magnetic fields. Schopohl and
Tewordt [{\sl J. Low Temp. Phys.} {\bf 57}, 601 (1984)] claim that the $J=1^-,
M=\pm 1$ order-parameter collective modes couple to zero sound as a result of
the distortion of the equilibrium order parameter by a magnetic field; they
identify the new features with these modes. However, we show that, when the
effect of gap distortion on the collective modes is properly taken into
account, the collective mode equations of Schopohl and Tewordt yield no direct
coupling of zero sound to the $J=1^-$ modes. Thus, the identification of the
absorption features reported by Ling, Saunders and Dobbs [{\sl Phys. Rev.
Lett.} {\bf 59}, 461 (1987)] near the pair-breaking edge with the $J=1^-$ modes
is not clearly established.
