NEW WHALES 53 
and dancing. ‘The material for this group was collected by Mr. Chap- 
man in the Sand Hill region of western Nebraska near the town of 
Halsey last spring. Mr. Chapman considered himself very fortunate in 
witnessing this performance of the Prairie Hen at close range, thus 
securing the data from which the group has been constructed. 
The backgrounds have been painted by Mr. Bruce Horsfall, who 
was sent by the Museum to make the requisite studies in the field and 
the accessories have been prepared at the Museum under the direction 
of Mr. J. D. Figgins. 
THE MUSEUM’S NEW WHALES. 
———,) 0 HE Museum is fortunate in having secured the skeleton 
We. WKeA oof two Atlantic Right Whales (Balena biscayensis) 
SI \ which were captured off the south shore of the eastern 
ot end of Long Island on Washington’s birthday. Such 
Ry an opportunity has offered itself but seldom before in 
a generation, and the animals too are becoming very 
searce. Furthermore, when whales are taken on a cruise the skeleton 
is rarely preserved, particularly with all the small bones intact. 
Early in the morning of February 22 three whales, one small and 
two large ones, were sighted about five miles from shore by the fisher- 
men of Amagansett, L. I., and immediately a boat load of hardy men 
under the leadership of Captain Josh Edwards, an old time whaler, 
set out in pursuit, for the carcass of a large Right Whale means thou- 
sands of dollars to its captors. Meanwhile another boat load of fisher- 
men from Wainscott, ten miles west of Amagansett, joined in the chase, 
which became an exciting adventure for the two small boats so far 
from land in mid-winter. Fortunately the weather was clear, though 
cold. 
The Amagansett crew made fast to the cow whale and succeeded in 
killing her in the open ocean, but they had a hard task in towing the 
body to the beach. ‘The bull made good his escape, but the Wainscott 
crew harpooned the calf and then had an easy time, for the wounded 
animal, also a female, headed straight for shore and landed high and 
dry on the beach. 
The next morning the news of the capture of the whales was received 
at the Museum and two men from the Department of Preparation and 
