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 



Mammsee placed opposite the anterior third of vulva and 



six inches from tip of it 



Length of sulcus of mammas .' 3 



Breadth of sulcus, on each side of it 2 



From tuberosity of humerus to point of pectoral fin .... 8 



Greatest breadth of fin 3 11 



Depth of lip (interior of lower) 4 7 



From the inner canthus 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 



Length of longest lamina on each side 



Distance between the laminae at the gum 



Breadth of pulp cavity of largest lamina 



Average length of pulp when extracted from one side of 



the largest laminae 5 



Number of laminae on either side, about 360. 



