40 MISCELLANEA. 



completed. I was able, however, to confirm the determination 

 which had been made by my co-workers at the Cullercoats 

 Laboratory that it was a full-grown male example, and to 

 make arrangements for the conveyance of the skeleton to the 

 Museum. It was then possible to see that there were eight 

 teeth in each jaw, or thirty-two altogether. 



The fishermen at different parts of the north-east coast 

 have reported that another White Whale was seen on several 

 occasions during the summer. 



The Condor's Sense of Smell. — I was recently dissecting a 

 rabbit in my room at the back of the museum. I was working 

 at an open window about ten yards from the condor's cage, 

 but far enough back for the dissection to be quite out of the 

 bird's sight. I first spent a considerable time in taking out 

 the rabbit's brain, and while this was going on the condor 

 remained quietly basking in the sun. But when I opened the 

 abdominal cavity and allowed the characteristic, but by no 

 means powerful odour of the warm viscera to escape, the 

 condor immediately became intensely excited. It ran to and 

 fro, repeatedly stretched its neck through the bars towards 

 the window, and then executed a series of vigorous flights 

 across the cage from one of its perching-stumps to the other, 

 a demonstration of excitement which is very unusual with it, 

 and which I have never at any other time seen performed 

 with so much enthusiasm. It continued to exhibit similar 

 signs of excitement for half an hour or so, until, in fact, I had 

 shut the window and left the building. 



Experiments have been described which were held clearly 

 to demonstrate that the condor as a species is without any 

 serviceable sense of smell. It was impossible, however, to 

 witness the behaviour of the museum condor on this occasion, 

 and to doubt that the bird had at once caught the odour of 

 the rabbit's viscera ; and under the circumstances this must 

 imply the possession of a sense of smell of very considerable 

 acuteness. — E. Leonard Gill. 



