HOW A HUMPBACK DIVES AND SPOUTS 



the ship, blowing every few seconds, and the spout 

 could hardly be seen although the opening and clos- 

 ing of the blowholes and the metallic whistling of 

 the escaping breath were plainly distinguishable. 



Immediately after the delivery of the spout the 

 lungs are refilled, the blowholes being opened widely 

 and protruded upward, and the breath rapidly drawn 

 in. The elevation of the blowholes is probably to 

 prevent a wave from slopping over and filling the 

 nasal passages, but when a whale lies dead upon the 

 slip there is no indication that the nostrils can be 

 protruded. This was first learned through a photo- 

 graph of a spouting blue whale, taken by Dr. Glover 

 M. Allen in Newfoundland waters, and since then 

 I have secured two others which show it admirably. 

 At the time my first picture was taken we had an in- 

 teresting experience which I shall never forget. 



