i86 



THE MUSEUM. 



situated just above the angles of 

 the mouth. The pectoral fins 

 were each about nine feet in 

 length, and about two feet be- 

 hind the angles of the mouth. 

 The greatest circumference of the 

 cylindrical body was a little be- 

 hind the pectoral fins, where the 

 full diameter, or breadth, was 

 about eleven feet. The caudal 

 fin measured thirteen feet across 

 from tip to tip. The tail, which 

 is wielded by muscles of enormous 

 power, constitutes thesole means 

 of offense and defense in the whale ; 

 for it has no teeth where with to 

 bite. A single blow of the tail, 

 well delivered, would be sufficient 

 to crush an ordinary row-boat, or 

 send it whirling through the air. 

 The plates of whalebone are the 

 substitutes for teeth in the mouth. 

 They are ranged vertically and 

 transversely in two series that de- 

 descend from the palatal surface 

 of the upper jaw and terminate in 

 a fringe of very coarse hairs on 

 their lower and inner margins, 

 where they come in contact 

 with the upper surface of the 

 bulky tongue, when the mouth 

 is closed. The molluscous 



and crustaceous animals which 

 constitute its food, are bruised into a 

 pulp between the muscular tongue and 

 the coarse fibres of the v/halebone, and 

 swallowed. Many large barnacles 

 were attached to the pectoral fins, to 

 the lower jaw, and to various parts of 

 the body. 



After the whale had been on exhi- 

 bition for about a week, it was taken 

 across the bay and a large amount of 

 oil was extracted from the bladder, 

 the bones being cleaned carefully and 

 prepared for mounting. — Mcriden S. 

 Hill, Sec. Tacoiiia Academy of Science 

 in Northwestern Matrarjine.. 



Washington, D. C. Notes. 



A female Wild Turkey was recently 

 shot just outside of the District of Co- 

 lumbia on the Potomic. This native 



American Osprey approaching nest on San Clemente 

 Island, Pacific. 



Game bird is still to be found almost 

 within sight of the Capitol and within 

 fifteen miles of the trolley cars. 



The writer recently sold 6 young 

 Opossums to a \'ermont Ta.xidermist 

 to be used in a group. These tooth- 

 some marsupials are very numerous 

 near the Capitol city. One hunter 

 near Tenleytown, D. C , caught four 

 in one evening and says he had 47 on- 

 hand at one time last winter. 



Mr. Ray Potter leaves Washington, 

 D. C. , to connect himself with W. W. 

 Hart, the well known New York Taxi- 

 dermist. 



The National Museum has begua 

 some new work mounting mammals, 

 the first of any consequence since the 

 preparation for the Columbian Exposi- 

 tion. A. B. Farnum. 



