CO885-(23-24) — Page 232

APPENDICES.

139

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

.....................im C.O. 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Females.

No. 22 (83 ft., 1st December):-"Teats closed.

have been insignificant."

No uterus found-it must

292 (63 ft., 16th January)

Milk, nil; mammæ absolutely retracted,

Uterus inconspicuous."

Milk, nil; teats retracted; small uterus (diameter of cornu 2-3 in.); ovary immature (6 by 3 in.), kept."

75 (66 ft., 22nd December):-" Young virgin female.

192 (66 ft., 5th January):

'Milk, nil; mammæ retracted."

279 (66.75 ft., 15th January) :--"Small young whale. Milk, nil; mammæ

absolutely retracted; clitoris also retracted."

17

294 (685 ft., 16th January): Milk, nil; mammæ absolutely retracted." 289 (895 ft., 15th January): -"Milk, nil; mammæ absolutely retracted."

42 (73 ft., 12th December):-"Young virgin female. Milk, nil; mammæ small and deeply retracted; ovary (one seen) small and immature (7.5 in. by 2.5 in.); uterus small-clearly a young virgin." One ovary was retained and numbered 20.

255 (785 ft., 12th January): -"No milk; genitals not noted; hence the

mammæ could not have been protruding."

"

267 (825 ft., 12th January): Milk, nil; mammæ absolutely retracted: contained a male foetus about 3 ft. 8 in. long (which was kept and numbered 118)." In a separate note a sketch of the external genitals various creases in the skin is given and it is noted that there were round mammary slits."

66

235 (83 ft., 9th January):-"Milk, nil; mammæ retracted; large uterus, but no fœtus of any size therein; one ovary seen, 19 in. long, and it had no corpus luteum."

43 (84 ft., 12th December) :-" Milk, nil; mammæ not so deeply retracted as in No. 42; the surrounding parts slightly protruding. Ovaries, one simple (1 ft. 3 in. by 6 in.), the other with six corpora lutea, one large and swollen and with distinct scar (this ovary measured 1 ft. 4 in. by 9 in.). Uterus smaller than in a finner with large fœtus, but with the cornu corresponding to the corpora lutea con- gested for about 2 ft. of its length. There must have been a small fœtus, but neither I nor Captain Begg could find it. Almost certainly a recently impregnated female; from the size of the uterus impreg- nated for the first time. Note. Only one ovary functional here." 199 (85-5 ft., 6th January):-"Milk, nil; mammæ protruding; mammary glands fairly well developed. Mammary prominence, 9 in. diameter; mammary slit, 24 in. long; genital slit, 5 ft. 3 in.; teat, 15 in. in diameter; anal slit, 8 in."

293 (85-5 ft., 16th January):-"Milk, nil; mammæ absolutely retracted. Ovaries not seen. Uterus small-bored, hence could not have held large foetus; cornua red and folded as if impregnated; very small fœtus found and bottled."

55 (86 ft., 18th December):-"Milk, nil: teats retracted; mammary glands fairly well developed. Contained a female fœtus 1 ft. 111⁄2 in.' long, which was kept."

164 (87 ft., 2nd January):-"Milk, nil; mammæ protruding; large empty

mammary glands, each about 6 ft. long."

198 (88-5 ft., 6th January):- "Milk, nil; one mamma protruding but retracted after flensing. Ovaries, one 13 in. by 55 in., with two moderate sized corpora lutea; the other 15 in. by 65 in. with one corpus luteum of moderate size. Uterus of moderate size, not red; if impregnation had occurred it could only have been recent."

157 (89 ft., 2nd January) :- -"Milk, nil; mammæ protruding; contained a

male foetus about 8 ft. 6 in. long."

203 (90 ft., 6th January):-" Milk, ?nil; mammæ protruding; rotten

carcase.

231 (90 ft.. 9th January:-"Milk, nil; maminæ retracted; contained a

female fœtus about 10 ft. 6 in. long."

No. 20 (91 ft., 1st December) :- "Mammæ protruding, but no milk. Thick vascular uterus, but in the jumble of flesh I could find neither fœtus nor ovary; I think there must have been a small fœtus, and that a calf had recently been weaned."

44 (93 ft., 12th December) :-"Fully grown female, with a fœtus 1 ft.

8 in. long, which, being damaged, was not kept."

85 (94 ft., 23rd December):-" Fully adult. Milk, nil; teats protruded, carried on large prominences; placenta exuding and conspicuous, but foetus not found.' In a separate note a sketch of the uterus, cornua, and ovaries embedded in a broad ligament and closely resembling these parts in the finners is given.

143 (95 ft., 30th December):-"Milk, nil; mammæ protruding."

ANALYSIS.

(a) Lactation -No milk observed in any female. The mammæ were protrud- ing in eight of the larger specimens; the protrusion may have been the result of a previous period of lactation, or it may have been due merely to post-mortem pressure.

(b) The genitals were examined in

Foetuses were found in 5 (Nos. 44,

55, 157, 231 and 267)

=

100

15

8

53:33 per cent.

Fœtuses must have been present

in 3 (Nos. 43, 85, and 20)

Evidence of recent impregnation in

1

6.67 per cent.

(No. 293)

Pregnancy doubtful in

2

133 per cent

(Nos. 198 and 235)

Virgins (all sexually immature) ..

(Nos. 22, 292, 75, and 42)

4

26.7 per cent.

VERTEBRÆ.

100

Major Barrett-Hamilton made the following notes on the condition of the epiphyses of the vertebræ of the blue whales which he examined at South Georgia

Males.

No. 169 (60 ft.) :-" Epiphyses distinct; bone soft."

135 (77 ft., without mandible):-"Posterior vertebral epiphyses fused;

those of thoracics quite distinct."

246 (805 ft.):-"Epiphyses of lumbar vertebræ fused; those of thoracics

distinct.'

175 (85 ft.):-"Epiphyses of all vertebræ fused, but bone not very old."

Females.

120 (66 ft.): Epiphyses distinct and bone soft and young."

42 (73 ft.):-"A large vertebra sawed across had two unfused epiphyses,

each about 2 in. deep."

267 (825 ft.):- Epiphyses of lumbars fused; those of anterior thoracics

not properly fused.”

"

43 (84 ft.): Three vertebræ cut across had epiphyses not fused."

199 (85-5 ft.):-"Epiphyses of lumbars and caudals fused; those of

thoracics distinct."

55 (86 ft.):-"Epiphyses not finished fusing."

184 (87 ft.): Epiphyses just traceable in posterior lumbar vertebræ;

other vertebræ not examined."

20 (91 ft.): Vertebræ very difficult to separate-full-grown?"

44 (93 ft.): "Fully grown female-the merest trace of epiphyses to

vertebræ."

85 (94 ft.):-" Fully adult female. Epiphyses (several) quite fused, and

bone hard and dry."