In this note it is noticed that in the finite kinematics of continua, the gradient of the rotation can be expressed in terms of the rotation itself, the stretch and the gradient of the latter. As consequences, this can be generalized by induction to the n-th gradient of the rotation (which, then, depends on all gradients of lower order of the rotation) and this can be used in establishing the well known kinematical compatibility condition of finite deformation theory.