Bach 26 [February 7, 
2. What species of Trochilium or its allies bore, in the 
larval state, the birch, willow and ash? 
3. To rear from the egg or larva any of our common 
Lampyrides. 
February 7, 1872. 
The President in the chair. Thirty-two persons present. 
The following paper was read :— 
DESCRIPTION OF THE WHALE (BALZNOPTERA MUSCULUS) THAT 
CAME ASHORE IN Boston Harsor, Nov. 25,1871. By THomas 
Dwicut, Jr., M. D. 
Although nothing specially new is to be learned from the gross ap- 
pearances ef this whale, yet they are worthy of note, for it is by the 
description of every specimen that can be examined that the obseu- 
ity may be removed which now confuses the classification of the 
inners. 
I first saw the carcass on November 27th, two days after it had 
drifted ashore dead, at Point Shirley, and I visited it on several sub- 
sequent occasions. Excepting in the tongue, which had the appear- 
ance of a green feather-bed, there was but little decomposition; the 
abdomen, however, was somewhat inflated, and in places the epider- 
mis was beginning to peel off. It is never easy to measure a whale 
accurately, and as in this case I went alone and with only a short 
tape measure, many of the results are open to doubt. Iwas unable 
to take the girth at any point, and on account of the position of the 
animal some measurements were in part by estimate ; they are, how- 
ever, I think, pretty accurate. The length is the one concerning 
which I am most in doubt, but-I believe that a straight line from the 
snout to the fork of the tail approached, but did not exceed, 65 feet. 
The expanse of the flukes was about 16 feet. 
é on. 
From the tip of the lower jaw to the front of the blow holes . . . . i 10 
To the insertion of the fore limb (partly by estimate) . ..... 18 
Breadth of skull between the eyes . . Mere eg SE 
From the notch in the tail to the dorsal fin... ......°* 2B 4 
Base of dorsal fin: °.° «301s = fe ee a) een 
Height of dorsal fin ° ° e ° ° ° e e - ° ° e e ° e ° ° ° 1 4 
