Memoir on the anatomy of the humpback whale, Megaptera Longimana / by John Struthers.

Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir on the anatomy of the humpback whale, Megaptera Longimana / by John Struthers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    in which I was assisted by Mr Robert Gibb, Aberdeen, and Dr Greig, junior, Dundee. The blubber in being cut in pieces was seen to average about 3 inches in thickness and was in a fair state of preservation. The skull and remaining bones were sent on to Aberdeen, the paddles entire, so that I could dissect them carefully. The skeleton was presented by Mr Woods to the Dundee Museum, where it will be finally placed. 3. Measurements— Length, from point of lower jaw to cleft of tail, straight, .... Pectoral fin, length along lower border, „ greatest breadth, Dorsal fin, height of fin proper, „ height of entire elevation, „ distance from cleft of tail. Tail fin, width between the tips, . „ extreme width, straight, . „ greatest antero-posterior breadth, Mammillary pouch, in front of anus. Projection of lower jaw beyond upper, Point of lower jaw to angle of mouth, straight, Same to below angle of mouth, along the curve, Point of lower jaw to pectoral fin, . Eye to eye, centre of, over the top, Distance of latter line behind blow-holes. Ear-hole behind posterior canthus of eyelids. Whalebone, largest plates, length, . largest plates, greatest breadth, 4. Size.—The 40 feet straight measurement, to the mesial cleft of the tail, was increased only 1 foot by following the curves on the side, only half a foot when taken over the belly To the most posterior part of the tail-fin gave 9 inches more than to the median cleft.^ 1 The common statement that Megaptera when mature may reach a length of nearly 60 feet, appears to rest on the authority of Captain HolboU Fabricius had put i at 50 to 54 feet, hut even that would appear to be an unusual T Z a. H Cocks (n. Zoologist, 1884, 1885, 1886, and 1887) gives much teresting information in regard to finners. obtained during his visits to the ft. in. U 12 0 2 8| 0 7 0 11 12 4 10 6 11 4 3 0 2 0 1 1 9 4 10 4 14 1 7 10 1 2 1 5 1 8 0 5 size in