





















: rl Gero. 5 ProvincrAL Museum Reporr. R 11 


Consolidated Whaling Corporation, Limited, but now of the Vancouver Island Whaling Company, 
which will be of special interest, and is here copied :— 
oy “T enclose herewith three photographs showing the unusual development of the pelvic 
rudiments in a whale captured at the Kyuquot Station last July, of which you have the bones. 
It is to be regretted that better pictures in evidence of this unprecedented development were 
not obtained. 
“T have been connected with the whaling industry for twenty-two years, and during my 
time have come in contact with prominent naturalists, such as Professor True, of the Smith- 
sonian Institution; Professor Lucas, of the Natural History Museum, Brooklyn; and Professor 
Andrews, of the Natural History Museum, New York; and neither in their experience nor mine 
have the profrusion of the pelvic bones beyond the body ever been seen or heard of. 
“This particular whale was a female humpback of the average length, with elementary legs 
protruding from the body about 4 feet 2 inches, covered with blubber about 1% inch thick. 
“As shown in the best photograph, these legs protruded on either side of the genital opening; 
the left leg was cut off by the crew of the vessel and lost, and the point at which it was cut 
off is clearly shown in the photograph. The end of the leg seen in the picture terminated in 
a kind of round knob like a man’s clenched fist. 
“The two bones of the leg which you have are connected by cartilage, which I was informed 
had shrunk about 10 inches, and possibly more by this time. At any rate, the total length of 
the leg before it was cleaned of the blubber and flesh was, as before stated, about 4 feet 2 inches 
from the body. 
ose oN OHM Safer coud 
Later, Mr. Roy Chapman Andrews, Assistant Curator of Mammals of the American Museum 
of Natural History, New York, who had done a tremendous amount of work monographing 
the whales of the world, heard of these most unusual appendages, and writing the Director of 
the Provincial Museum, asked for information regarding the same. These specimens were loaned 
to Mr. Andrews, who is preparing a paper on the same. Extracts from his letters no doubt 
will be of great interest, and are as follows :— 
August 2nd, 1920. “The special excuse for this letter is to ask about some so-called exterior 
limb bones which were discovered on a humpback whale taken on the west coast of Vancouver 
Island. My friend, Mr. Sidney Ruck, of the Whaling Company, told me that one of the legs 
was sent to the Museum, and I shall be interested to know if you have it there; also, what the 
thing is like. Are there actual bones or is it only tissue and blubber? Iam very much interested 
in the subject, and if you can give me any information I will be very grateful. 
“ Roy CHAPMAN ANDREWS.” 
September 20th, 1920. ‘“ When I returned from my vacation two days ago I found the 
whale-bones which you sent awaiting me. I am tremendously interested in them, for they 
represent a phase in evolution of which I have never seen any evidence in all the whales which 
I have investigated, and I should greatly like to publish a short paper on the bones, and want 
to ask whether or not you have any objections to my doing so, Will you not let me know as 
soon as possible about it, for I want to take up the matter of its preparation immediately if 
you are willing. 
, “ Roy CHAPMAN ANDREWS.” 
October 7th, 1920. “‘ Many thanks for your letter of September 27th, giving me permission 
to publish a paper on the external leg-bones of the humpback whale which you so kindly loaned 
for our inspection. I will, of course, be glad to acknowledge our indebtedness to Mr. Lawson 
and Mr. Ruck, and will have a number of separates sent to you. 
“Roy CHAPMAN ANDREWS.” 
INSECTIVOROUS MAMMALS, FAMILY Soricip®. 
Distribution of Species occurring in British Columbia. 
Shrews, or shrew-mice, as they are often named from their mouse-like form, belong to the 
true Insectivores. So like are these animals to mice and rats that they are often erroneously 
confused with them, although they are easily distinguishable by their long pointed snouts, their 
rounded ears closely pressed to the sides of the head, and the characteristics of the first pair 
