vi CONTENTS 



THE AGE OF FEMALE BLUE WHALES AND THE EFFECT OF WHALING 

 ON THE STOCK (published 19th May, 1937) 



By Alec H. Laurie, M.A. 



Introduction page 225 



Biological Notes 230 



The Rate of Breeding 239 



Age Determination 243 



The Age at Physical Maturity 259 



Present Span of Life 260 



Population and Recruitment 261 



Average Length of Blue Females 265 



Increase of Immature Whales in the Catch 266 



Summary 267 



Literature Cited 269 



Appendix I : Blue Whales Taken in the Antarctic since 1904-5 and off the Coast of 



Africa since 1910 270 



Appendix II: Particulars of the Collections of Ovaries, 1934-6 271 



