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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



end. The other was hollowed in deep. 

 That is the socket and it oils itself. 



Another joint is the hinge joint, like 

 my elbow. It swings back and forth, 

 and it oils itself. It never creaks like 

 the school door. 



There is another joint that don't 

 seem much like a joint ; that is the 

 skull. It don't have no motion. 



All my bones put together in their 

 right places make a skeleton. If I leave 

 out any or put any in the wrong place, 

 it ain't no skeleton. Some animals, 

 have their skeletons on the outside. I 

 am glad I ain't them animals, for my 

 skeleton like it is on the chart wouldn't 

 look well on my outside. — Clipping 

 from a New York newspaper, sent by a 

 member of The AA. 



Porpoises at Sea. 



BY C. H. TOWNSEND. 



The two small photographs repro- 

 duced in this "Bulletin," showing por- 

 poises racing under the bows of steam- 

 ers are interesting in spite of their im- 

 perfections. The one made by Mr. 

 Greenlee shows a porpoise with a shark 

 sucker (Remora) attached to each side 

 of its tail, while the one by Mr. Chap- 

 man Grant shows, although very dim- 

 ly, a small baby porpoise racing close 

 beside its mother. Mr. Grant observed 

 that the little fellow managed to main- 



Photograph by C. Grant. 



PORPOISES RACING UNDER THE BOW OF A 



STEAMSHIP. 



In this photograph the porpoises are entirely urder 

 water, the female in advance having a liaby porpoise 

 swimming beside her. 



Photograph Ij\ 1'. S. (m.nlee. 

 PORPOISES RACING UNDER THE BOW OF A 



STEAMSHIP. 



The porpoise at the left has a shark-sucker {Remora) 



attached on each side. 



tain the pace set by its parent. It is 

 difficult to make photographs of por- 

 poises under such conditions, because 

 they keep just below the surface, 

 merely protruding the tops of their 

 heads to breathe. Their speed at such 

 times is of course equal to that of the 

 vessel. 



Mr. J. K. Nye, of New Bedford. 

 Mass., informs me that he "timed" a 

 school of porpoises off the coast of 

 South Carolina, when the vessel was 

 steaming at the rate of twelve miles 

 an hour. The porpoises remained with 

 the vessel about one hour. On another 

 occasion when the steamer was run- 

 ning at the rate of fifteen miles per 

 hour, a school of porpoises remained 

 near the bow for nearly two hours. 



I have seen a school of porpoises in 

 the inland passage to Alaska, remain 

 near the bow of the United States Fish- 

 eries Steamer Albatross for nearly three 

 hours, while the vessel was maintain- 

 ing a speed of nine miles an hour. This 

 happened at night, and as the sea was 

 smooth and phosphorescent, the move- 

 ments of the rapidly swimming por- 

 poises made a rarely beautiful sight. 



Porpoises could no doubt swim much 

 faster than fifteen miles an hour, but 

 would not be likely to remain long 

 with a very swiftly moving steamer. 



