WHALING 259 



An adult whale varies from forty to sixty feet in length ; 

 extra large ones run to sixty-five feet, and the largest recorded 

 reached eighty feet in length. 



The whalers have different names for differently sized whales. 

 Suckers are the young under a year old ; Shortheads is also 

 applied to the young as long as they continue to be suckled. 

 Stunts are two years old ; Scull-fish have bone less than six feet 

 in length ; Size-fish have the bone exceeding that length. 



The following are the measurements given by Dr. Robert 



Goodsir of a large female whale killed in Ponds bay : 



ft. in. 

 Length from the fork of the tail, along the abdomen, to 



tip of lower jaw 65 



Girth behind swimming-paws 30 



Breadth of tail, from tip to tip 24 



Greatest breadth between lower jaws 10 



Length of head, measured in a line from articulation of 



lower jaw 21 



Length of vulva 1 2 



From posterior end of vulva to anus 6 



From anterior end of vulva to umbilicus 8 



Mammaee placed opposite the anterior third of vulva and 



six inches from tip of it 



Length of sulcus of mammae 3 



Breadth of sulcus, on each side of it 2 



From tuberosity of humerus to point of pectoral fin .... 80 



Greatest breadth of fin 3 11 



Depth of lip (interior of lower) 4 7 



From the inner caiithus of eye to extreme angle of fold of 



mouth 1 5 



From inner to outer canthus 6 



Length of block of laminae beleen, measuring round the 



curve of the gum, after being removed from the head 16 6 



Length of longest lamina on each side 10 6 



Distance between the laminae at the gum OJ 



Breadth of pulp cavity of largest lamina 1 



Average length of pulp when extracted from one side of 



the largest laminae 5 



Number of laminae on either side, about 360. 



