4 PROFESSOR STRUTHERS. 



in which I was assisted by Mr Robert Gibb, Aberdeen, and Dr 

 Greig, junior, Dundee. The blubber in being cut in pieces was 

 seen to average about 3 inches in thickness and was in a fair 

 state of preservation. The skull and remaining bones were 

 sent on to Aberdeen, the paddles entire, so that I could dissect 

 them carefully. The skeleton was presented by Mr Woods 

 to the Dundee Museum, where it will be finally placed. 

 3. Measurements — ft. in. 



Length, from point of lower jaw to cleft of 



tail, straight, 40 



Pectoral fin, length along lower border, . . 12 



„ greatest breadth, . . . 2 8| 



Dorsal fin, height of fin proper, . . .07 



„ height of entire elevation , . . 11 



„ distance from cleft of tail, . .12 4 



Tail fin, width between the tips, . . . 10 6 



„ extreme width, straight, . . . 11 4 



„ greatest antero-posterior breadth, . 3 



Mammillary pouch, in front of anus, , .20 



Projection of lower jaw beyond upper, . .11 



Point of lower jaw to angle of mouth, straight, 9 4 



Same to below angle of mouth, along the 



curve, . . . . . . . 10 4 



Point of lower jaw to pectoral fin, . . . 14 1 

 Eye to eye, centre of, over the top, . . 7 10 



Distance of latter line behind blow-holes, . 1 2 

 Ear-hole behind posterior can thus of eyelids, . 1 5 

 Whalebone, largest plates, length, . . .18 

 „ largest plates, greatest breadth, . 5 



4. Size. — The 40 feet straight measurement, to the mesial 

 cleft of the tail, was increased only 1 foot by following the 

 curves on the side, only half a foot when taken over the belly 

 To the most posterior part of the tail-fin gave 9 inches more 

 than to the median cleft.^ 



^ The common statement that Megaptera when mature may reach a length 

 of nearly 60 feet, appears to rest on the authority of Captain HolboU. 

 Fabricius had put it at 50 to 54 feet, but even that would appear to be an unusual 

 size. Mr A. H. Cocks {The Zoologist, 1884, 1885, 1886, and 1887) gives much 

 interesting information in regard to iinners, obtained during his visits to the 



