— 102 — 



In the course of 1917 the various bones were prepared here, and the 

 skeleton also set up, which reconstruction was not completed till February 

 1918. 



For this purpose a special shed was built, measuring 28 M. in length 

 and 5 M. in width, erected between the two parts of the left-wing of the 

 Zoological Museum, 



The beached whale proved to be a Bnlaenoptera. The creature is bigger 

 than any other representatives of this genus preserved in European or American 

 musea. Also the numerous statements in True (6) as to the length of these 

 snimals as measured at different whaling-stations in America, make it evident 

 that the specimen before us is an exceptionally huge one, being indeed unique 

 and surpassing all measurements recorded. 



Very little is known as yet about the various species of whales occurring 

 in the Indian waters. The biggest whale, however, stated to occur in Indian 

 seas, is said to be Balaenoptera indica Blyth. 



It was therefore natural that in identifying the Buitenzorg skeleton atten- 

 tion was immediately directed to this species, adult specimens of which were 

 said to attain a length of from 80 to 90 feet. 



However, I have never been able to lay hands on the original description 

 of this huge Indian fin-fish, made by Blyth in the Journal of the Asiatic 

 Society of Bengal, vol XXVIII p. 488 (1859). It would, however, appear 

 from Blanford (2) p. 567 and other works, that this Balaenoptera indica was 

 described from a small number of bones preserved at the Indian Museum of 

 Calcutta, viz. two mandibles (inferior maxillae), a rib, a righthand radius and 

 5 vertebrae. 



Mention must further be made of a smaller finner-skeleton classed under 

 the same name, kept in the Raffles Museum at Singapore. This skeleton is 

 reproduced by a photograph in the catalogue of the zoological department 

 of that museum. 



From this photo, which displays numerous divergencies from the whale- 

 skeleton at Buitenzorg, it clearly appears that, as far as this Java skeleton 

 is concerned, we must be dealing with quite a different species. 



As far as it can be ascertained the various characteristics of our great whale 

 skeleton agree most nearly with those of Balaenoptera muscuhis L. (occasio- 

 nally described as Balaenoptera sibbaldii G. O. Sars), which species is known 

 as the biggest finback-whale, and hence also as the hugest of living creatures. 



