100 



PYGMY SPERM WHALE. ^PIERS. 



ins. It is situated not quite on the m^dial dorsal line, the centre 

 being .52 inch to the left of that line. It is closed, in a valve-like 

 manner, by the posterior wall coming in contact with the anterior 

 wall, so as to exclude water; and surrounding it is a white, very 

 tough, muscular or cartilaginous fibre. The outer vestibule of 

 the blowhole is of the length of the external opening, and is 1 .75 

 ins. deep It is coloured black within. From the left end of 

 this vestibule is a small tubular passage (spiracle) penetrating 

 nearly perpendicularly into the head, to the left superior naris, 

 which could be explored with a probe to a depth of 5.50 ins. 

 from the surface of the head. A right-hand passage could not 

 be located with the probe, but the man who removed the flesh 

 said he found also a right-hand smaller opening leading into the 

 head, and connecting with the right-hand superior naris. 

 Although I searched for the small external ear-opening, I was not 

 quite sure 1 had located it, but the position of the well-developed 

 ear-bones (tympano-periotic bones) of the skull, shows that the 

 external orifice must be about 2.50 ins. behind and a little below 

 the level of the eye, where I had detected a minute pore or open- 

 ing. 



Dorsal fin composed of adipose tissue, without any osseous 

 connection with the vertibrae; low, falcate; its basal length con- 

 tained about 13 times in length of animal, its height about 2'/4 

 times in its basal length. Pectoral fins short, moderately broad, 

 and somewhat pointed; their anterior margin a little less than 

 i^th as long as length of animal, their greatest breadth contained 

 2'/2 times in their greatest length. Flukes moderately excavated 

 on the hind margin, and with a small acute notch in the centre 

 of that margin; the distance from tip to tip, 1 .84 times the greatest 

 length of the pectoral. 



The weight of the animal was reported to have been about 400 

 pounds. The "blubber" or fatty tissue was concentrated on the 

 outside of the animal, immediately beneath the skin, and at the 

 back of the neck it formed a layer 1 .49 ins. thick, white in colour 

 and it readily furnished a clear yellowish oil of high quality. The 

 flesh was of a very dark red colour, entirely free from fat; and on 

 being eaten after frying, was exceedingly tender, but in my opin- 

 ion was somewhat too strong in flavour to be very palatable, al- 

 though two gentlemen who also tried it considered it excellent. 

 It has no oily or fishy flavour; but does not possess the very fine 

 edible qualities of a steak from the back of the Harbour Porpoise 



