198 PROFESSOR TURNER'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FINNER WHALE 



was secured around the root of the tail, and, when afloat at high water, it was 

 towed by a powerful steamer to Kirkcaldy, a town on the opposite shore of the 

 Firth, distant about ten miles. 



It was flensed on the beach, immediately to the east of Kirkcaldy harbour ; 

 and, as this could only be done at low water, the process of removing the 

 blubber, taking out the fat within the abdomen, cutting off" the baleen and flesh, 

 disarticulating and removing the bones, occupied several men for nearly a 

 month. 



As one of the largest sized whalebone whales comes so very seldom within 

 comparatively easy access of a great city, the opportunity was taken by crowds 

 of persons to inspect the huge creature, not only as it lay on the beach at 

 Longniddry, but whilst the process of cutting up was going on at Kirkcaldy. 



As the classification and structure of the larger Cetacea possess many in- 

 teresting points for investigation, I gladly availed myself of the presence of this 

 rare visitor to devote such time as I could spare, in the midst of the work of 

 the University session, to its examination. 



The colour, general form, and dimensions of the animal were observed when 

 the whale was lying on the shore at Longniddry. The observations on the in- 

 ternal structure were made as it was being cut up at Kirkcaldy, or on speci- 

 mens which were brought over to the Anatomical Museum of the University, 

 and submitted there to a more careful examination than could have been con- 

 ducted on the sea beach. 



The distance from Edinburgh at which the whale was lying, during the 

 flensing, rendering a journey by rail and steamer necessary at each visit, the 

 exposed position of the animal on the sea beach below high- water mark making 

 access to it practicable only at low water, the great bulk of the creature, the 

 difficulty of getting at the internal parts owing to the size of the cavities, the 

 greasy, slippery condition of all the surroundings, and the impediments offered 

 to handling or removing the viscera on account of their magnitude and weight, 

 have made the examination of this whale a very laborious task. For these 

 reasons, as well as from the putrid state into which the carcase passed, the 

 extremely offensive gases generated by so huge a mass of putrifying flesh, and 

 the great heat evolved by its decomposition, it was impossible to study many of 

 the structures to which I should have wished to have devoted my attention. 

 In many respects, therefore, I regret to say that my description will necessarily 

 be incomplete and fragmentary. 



In conducting the examination, I was most ably assisted by the thoroughly 

 cordial and, I may say, enthusiastic, co-operation of my assistant, Mr Stirling, 

 and my pupils, Mr Millen Coughtrey and Mr James Foulis, to whom I take 

 this opportunity of expressing my thanks for the important aid which they ren- 

 dered. To Mr John Tait of Kirkcaldy I and my assistants are indebted for 



