74 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



still attached by the umbilical cord were two calves. An 

 extra haul over from the windlass on to pier, preparatory to 

 flensing the other side, caused the womb to burst, and two 

 young, still ivarni, lay out on the ensanguined shore. 



" You don't want these," I said to the manager, who 

 stood beside me. (I must explain, there had been great 

 unwillingness to " part " with even single specimens of the 

 baleen just before.) 



" No ! no ! no ! " he said hesitatingly ; but I had given 

 my men the hint and they were already lifting up the two 

 young, preparatory to carrying them to our boat, to remove 

 them to the yacht, which lay in the offing. They were both 

 males : length of one, 6 feet ; the other, about 4 feet. After- 

 wards they were sent on to the Museum at Edinburgh (now 

 the " Royal Scottish Museum"); one was retained there, and 

 the other sent on to the University Anatomical Museum. 

 Prof. Turner and Dr. Traquair afterwards, when examining 

 them, pronounced them to be the young of Sibbald's Rorqual. 

 The mother was not therefore a large Blue Whale, being 

 60 feet, because the larger ones of this species reach con- 

 siderably greater measurements, even to 76 or 80 feet. 



I fancy some interest ought to attach to such juvenile 

 examples, 6 and 4 ft. long respectively, and to the fact 

 of their being twin brothers ; but I am not aware that any- 

 thing respecting them has appeared. I am only assured, 

 that such a " double event " is rare, according to all 

 experience of the Fin Whale Fishery employees ; as may also 

 be gathered from a perusal of Mr. Haldane's interesting paper. 

 The general consensus of opinion and observation is that such 

 is of extreme rarity. Therefore I have considered it desir- 

 able to give the record here along with the accompanying 

 reproduction of a photograph taken by Mr. Norrie, on the spot. 



Mr. Haldane has drawn attention to the doubtful nature 

 of our information as regards the slowness or the rapidity 

 of the growth of the young in utero, and consequently, on 

 the general growth and ages to which whales attain. 



The above notes, I think, should help a little at least, 

 towards some solution, if compared with others of Mr. 

 Haldane's remarks hearing as he did of one foetus of 22 

 feet in length, and of another of 16 feet in length. 



