200 PROFESSOR TURNER'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FINNER WHALE 



no dorsal mesial ridge. But somewhat in front of the posterior fourth of the 

 back a ridge appeared, which culminated in the dorsal fin. Unfortunately the 

 height of this fin could not be taken, as the summit had been cut away before I 

 saw the animal. It was triangular in form, its anterior border convex, its 

 posterior border falcate, whilst its apex had obviously projected upwards and 

 backwards. A line drawn from its posterior border vertically down the side of 

 the whale reached the ventral mesial line some distance behind the anus. From 

 the tip of the lower jaw to the anterior border of the dorsal fin was 59 feet 3 

 inches. Behind the dorsal fin the sides of the animal sloped rapidly down- 

 wards to the ventral surface, so that both the dorsal and ventral mesial lines 

 were clearly marked, and the sides tapered off" backwards to the tail. 



The lobes of the tail curved outwards and backwards from the terminal 

 part of the sides of the animal ; a rounded interlobular median notch marked 

 the termination of the caudal spine, and separated the two lobes from each 

 other. The anterior border of each lobe was rounded, and convex from root to 

 tip, the posterior was sharp, and concave from root to tip ; the tip was pointed 

 and the surfaces flattened. The greatest girth of one of the tail lobes was 5 

 feet 8 inches, whilst the distance between the tips of the two lobes was some- 

 what more than 16 feet.* 



The ventral surface of the throat, and the sides and ventral surface of the 

 chest and belly, were marked by numerous longitudinal ridges and furrows. 

 Some extended as far forward as the symphysis of the lower jaw, others to the 

 angle of the mouth ; some mounted as high as the root of the flipper, and even 

 above its posterior border. These folds terminated at their hinder ends with 

 great regularity .along a line, which commencing some distance behind the root 

 of the flipper sloped obliquely downwards and backwards to the ventral sur- 

 face. The ventral folds were consequently the longest, one about the middle of 

 the belly measured 45 feet. The number of these folds on each side of the 

 ventral mesial line it was difficult exactly to determine, on account of the posi- 

 tion in which the whale was lying, but at least thirty appeared to be present, 

 though as a ridge occasionally bifurcated or gave off a branch, and as, after some 

 time, its forks blended with adjacent ridges, the number necessarily varied in 

 different localities. When I first saw the animal the furrows separating the 

 ridges were not more than from J to f an inch broad, whilst the ridges them- 

 selves were in many places 4 inches in breadth, but as the body began to swell 

 by the formation of gas from decomposition, the furrows were opened up, be- 

 came wider and shallower, and the ridges underwent a corresponding diminu- 

 tion in breadth. At the same time a considerable change took place in the 

 contour of the body in the thoracic and abdominal regions, which presented 



* The extreme ends, probably one foot from each lobe, bad unfortunately been cut away before 

 the measurement was taken. 



