by BE. C. Chubb. 93 
appears to me to agree more with Balenoptera borealis. I should 
be glad to know what species you consider it belongs to. The 
following are measurements and descriptions of the creature 
taken by my Assistant on the slipway, and I also give sketch 
with measurements of the dorsal fin.” 
To this Mr. Olsen replied as follows : 
“This whale really seems to be a seihval (balenoptera borealrs ). 
It is very interesting to find it in the hot Mozambique current 
outside Durban, and, as far as I know, it is the first 2B. borealis 
that has been captured so far to the east as there. A single 
specimen was recognised at Saldanha Bay (on the west coast of 
Cape Colony) and, if the whalers are right, others have been 
obtained there since I left South Africa. Outside Portuguese 
West Africa they are said to be not so rare, but, unfortunately, 
not a single specimen has been examined, and therefore the 
occurence of &. borea/is in those waters is somewhat uncertain. 
Many of them may, perhaps, prove to be B. brydev.” 
PHYSETER MACROCEPHALUS, Linn. Sperm Whale or Cachalot. 
The following measurements apply to a male captured at Durban 
on 3rd July, 1914: 
a 
feet inches 
Total length from tip of snout to notch of tail ... ey. ae 54 0 
Tip of snout to posterior insertion of dorsal fin.. Oe sae 38 0 
Tip of snout to anterior insertion of dorsal fin ... 50 or SO 
Tip of snout toeye centre... sis 38 ape 76 © 
Tip of snout to anterior insertion of pectorals a ee ae 243 
Tip of snout to axilla ine wi ont ae oo 2258 
Tip of snout toear ... ce sn JS: Sls as 19550 
From notch of flukes to anus. is Ee sic a7 13510 
From notch of flukes to root of penis ... sos an 5h 18 6 
From notch of flukes to navel.. ame ae sin 2) 10) 
Length of pectoral from head of humerus S08 ee a6 a9 0) 
Depth of caudal peduncle at insertion of flukes. ae so Bs} 
Semi-circumference of body opposite navel ee ag: ae 14 0 
It is of interest to record that a sperm whale obtained at Durban 
by the South African Whaling Company in January, 1913, was found 
to contain in its stomach a shark, intact, measuring 10 feet in length. 
