Waite — Two Australasian Blue Whales 1&7 



mens, to the U]5per figure of which our exaiii])les are very similar. Owing to 

 foreshortening- in our picture the more slender element appears to be shorter 

 than in realitv, the ti]i being strongly curved towards the observer. The 

 longer memlier of the right bone measures 340 mm., and the smaller one 

 245 nun. The distance lietween the extremities of the two long jirocesses is 

 400 mm. The ])elvic bones are illustrated on Plate xxvi., fig. 3. 



Professor O. Abel has written a valuable ]iaper on the pelvic bones, under 

 the title "Die Morphologic der llueftbeinrudimente der Cetaceen" ( i'' ), and 

 has also supplied a bibliograph\- of the subject. He has not discussed the 

 species under notice, but has dealt with B. plivsaliis Linn.: in this species the 

 Ilium and Ischium form a more direct line than in the Blue \\'liale, in which the 

 bones are fused almost at right angles. 



P-xjilanatii in of Plates xxi-xxvi. 



Plate xxi. 



Blue Whale at Corvisart Bay, near Streaky Ra}-, South ;\ustralia, taken 

 shortly after stranding. Dorso-lateral aspect. 

 Photograph by G. W^itson. 



Plate xxii. 

 Fig. 1. The whale, four davs after stranding, showing the change in contour. 

 Fig. 2. Head of the whale. If the picture be viewed upside down the baleen 

 will appear in its correct ])osition, depending from the upper 

 jaw. 

 Fig. 3. The whale, ^•entral as])ect. 



Photdgraphs by the author. 



Plate xxiii. 



Fig. 1. Flensing the whale at Streaky Bay. A horse was used for dragging 

 off the blubber as it was released by the men. 



Fig. 2. Piirtion of the skin, showing ej^idermal markings. 



T'"ig. 3. Attachment area of ]iortion of baleen, showing the bases of the 

 inner (narrow) and outer (broad) plates. 

 Photographs by the author. 



(17) Abel, Denks. der K. Akad. Wissen Wien, Ixxxi, 1907, p. 139. 



