8o LIFE OF FLOWER 



almost sure, sooner or later, to exude through the pores, 

 and render the specimens unsightly, if not absolutely 

 unfit for exhibition. 



Previously to Flower's attempt to make an adequate 

 and striking exhibition of the bodily form of the larger 

 whales, some of the smaller members of the group, such 

 as the killer-whale, had been modelled in America in 

 papier-mach ; one such model of the species in question 

 being exhibited in the museum. Flower, however, 

 conceived the idea of making models in plaster of even 

 the largest species of whales ; but, in order to save 

 both material and space, resolved that these should be 

 restricted to one-half of the animal, and should be con- 

 structed upon the actual skeleton, thereby ensuring, 

 with the aid, when possible, of measurements taken from 

 carcases, practically absolute accuracy as regards size 

 and proportion. In due course, after great labour and care, 

 such half-models were built up on the skeletons of the 

 sperm-whale, the southern right-whale, and two species 

 of fin-whale, or rorqual, while others were made of 

 some of the smaller kinds, such as the narwhal and the 

 beluga or white whale. Skeletons and skulls of other 

 species, together with complete models or stuffed skins, 

 or models of the head alone, of many of the porpoises 

 and dolphins, and other specimens illustrating the 

 natural history of the Cetacea, were likewise placed 

 in the new annexe, which was opened to the public 

 on Whit Monday 1897. Flower had always been im- 

 pressed with the great structural difference between 

 the toothed whales, as represented by the sperm-whale, 

 grampuses, porpoises, dolphins, etc., on the one hand, 

 and the whalebone whales, such as the right-whales, 



