276 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



some of them, such as the length of the flipper measured from the head of the humerus, 

 are difficult to obtain and have been performed only on a small number of whales. 

 However, a more or less complete series has been recorded in some 783 Blue whales 

 and 692 Fin whales. 



The actual measurements of each whale are of course of little value for purposes of 

 comparison, and they have therefore been reduced in the case of each whale to per- 

 centages of the total length. 



As a preliminary analysis of the measurements the following table shows the mean 

 value of all the measurements taken for male and female Blue whales, expressed as 

 percentages of the total length : 



The number of measurements actually made under each heading is quoted to show 

 the reliability of each mean result. The majority are based on over a hundred readings 

 and are therefore very reliable, but measurements Nos. 2, 22 and 23 are based on two 



