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A Book of Whales

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A Book of Whales The Progressive Science Series Edited by F. E. BEDDARD, M.A., F.R.S. Editor PROFESSOR (tAmerican J. McK. CATTELL) A BOOK OF WHALES By F. E. BEDDARD, M.A., F.R.S. THE PROGRESSIVE SCIENCE SERIES Edited by F. E. BEDDARD,- M.A., F.R.S. (^American Editor PROFESSOR J. Me K.. CATTELL, M.A., PH.D.) A LIST OF THE VOLUMES ALREADY PUBLISHED THE STUDY OF MAN : AN INTRODUCTION TO ETHNOLOGY. By PROFESSOR A. C. HADDON, D.Sc., M.A., M.R.I. A. Illustrated THE GROUNDWORK OF SCIENCE. By ST. GEORGE MIVART, M.D., PH.D., F.R.S. EARTH SCULPTURE. 'By PROFESSOR GEIKIE, LL.D., F.R.S. Illustrated RIVER DEVELOPMENT AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE RIVERS OF NORTH AMERICA. By PROFESSOR I. C. RUSSELL. Illustrated VOLCANOES. By PROFESSOR BONNEY, D.Sc., F.R.S. Illustrated BACTERIA. By GEORGE NEWMAN, M.D., F.R.S. (Edin.), D.P.H. (Camb.). Illustrated IN COURSE OF PRODUCTION of HEREDITY. By J. ARTHUR THOMSON, M.A., F.R.S.E. Author "The " Study of Animal Life," and co-author of The Evolution of Sex." Illustrated THE ANIMAL OVUM. By F. E. BEDDARD, M.A., F.R.S. (the Editor). Illustrated THE REPRODUCTION OF LIVING BEINGS : A COMPARATIVE STUDY. By MARCUS HARTOG, M.A., D.Sc., Professor of Natural History in Queen's College, Cork. Illustrated THE STARS. By PROFESSOR NEWCOMB. Illustrated MAN AND THE HIGHER APES. By DR. KEITH, F.R.C.S. Illustrated METEORS AND COMETS. By PROFESSOR C. A. YOUNG THE MEASUREMENT OF THE EARTH. By PRESIDENT MENDENHALL EARTHQUAKES. By MAJOR DUTTON PHYSIOGRAPHY : OR THE FORMS OF LAND. By PROFESSOR DAVIS PIERCE THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE. By C. J. GENERAL ETHNOGRAPHY. By PROFESSOR BRINTON RECENT THEORIES OF EVOLUTION. By PROFESSOR BALDWIN LIFE AREAS OF NORTH AMERICA : A STUDY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS. By DR. C. HART MERRIAM AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN AND COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY. By PRO- FESSOR JACOJJES LOEB, Director of the Hull Physiological Laboratory of the University of Chicago PLANETARY MOTION. By G. W. HILL, Pn.D. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY. By GEORGE S. STERNBERG, M.D., Surgeon- General of U.S. Army AGE, GROWTH, SEX, AND DEATH. By PROFESSOR CHARLES S. MINOT, Harvard Medical School Other -volumes "will be announced as arranged, and the series in its entirety will comprise volumes on every branch of science. A BOOK OF WHALES BY F. E. BEDDARD, M.A., F.R.S. WITH FORTY ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. SIDNEY BERRIDGE NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS LONDON : JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1900 PREFACE far as I am aware there is no recent general SOwork of a comprehensive kind dealing with the Cetacea in the English language. There are, of course, sections devoted to this group in many Natural Histories, such as the Royal Natural History of Mr. Lydekker, Cassell's Natural History, The Standard Natural History, etc., as well as the long section contained in Sir William Flower and Mr. Lydekker's Mammals, Recent and Extinct. I think, therefore, that there is at present a distinct gap to fill on behalf of those who would have in account a comparatively small compass a general of this group of mammals, and a selection of the voluminous literature which relates to that group. to steer I have attempted to perform this task, and a course between too much exposition of technical facts and a too popular account of whales. I have aimed at producing a solid book tempered by anec- dote. It need hardly be pointed out that this book is of the Cetacea but on the other not a monograph ; of structure hand, I hope that at least the main facts and mode of life of these creatures will be found in the following pages. Whales are, from many points of view, so inter- that no esting and remarkable a group of animals, for a apology is, in my opinion, needed devoting whole volume to them. It may be suggested, how- ever, that desirable though a book devoted to the like whales may be, it has not a place in a series viii PREFACE the Progressive Science Series, which is devoted to the exposition of larger subjects than the present appears at first sight to be. It has, however, been my attempt in the present volume to endeavour to illustrate by means of the group of whales a very important biological generalisation, the intimate rela- tion between structure and environment. No group shows this to a more striking degree than that with which I have occupied myself. The section on the Delphinidae will, I fear, be found less interesting than those relating to other subdivisions of the whale tribe. They are not, as a rule, sufficiently well known to have accumulated much anecdote and the structural differences ; present nothing of importance save to the systematist. How- ever, it is clearly necessary to include them, as they form the bulk of the known Cetaceans. Their synonymy, too, is perplexing and far from settled. I have, as will be seen, followed True in the main, adopting some subsequent alterations of his views. As the present volume is not in any sense a catalogue of whales, I have forborne from giving a synonymy in the orthodox but I have mentioned most way ; of the names which have been at one time or another applied to dolphins. Those who desire to pursue this portion of the subject further can refer to Mr. True's account of the family Delphinidae, which is frequently referred to in the text. I may remark, finally, that a large number of the actual facts have been verified, and that here and there some small details appear which have not been hitherto recorded. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PAGE THE EXTERNAL FORM OF WHALES i CHAPTER II. SOME INTERNAL STRUCTURES . -37 CHAPTER III. A COMPARISON OF WHALES WITH OTHER AQUATIC MAMMALS 85 CHAPTER IV. THE POSITION OF WHALES IN THE SYSTEM AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION . 95 CHAPTER V. THE HUNTING OF WHALES . ... 107 CHAPTER VI. THE RIGHT WHALES . 117 CHAPTER VII. THE RORQUALS . 144 CHAPTER VIII. THE TOOTHED WHALES OR ODONTOCETI . 172 x CONTENTS CHAPTER IX. PAGE BEAKED WHALES . 210 CHAPTER X. THE DOLPHINS . ... 237 CHAPTER XI. ANOMALOUS DOLPHINS . ... 293 CHAPTER XII. ZEUGLODONTS AND THEIR ALLIES . ... 307 INDEX . ... 312 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE A stranded Rorqual (?). (From Olaus Magnus) . Frontispiece 1. Embryo of Porpoise to illustrate form of Tail. (From Kiikenthal) To face g 2. Hand of Balanoptera musculus, showing disappearing ringer. (From Ktikenthal) . ,, 9 3. Hand of Beluga, showing commencing bifurcation of ringer. (From Kiikenthal) . ,, 9 4. Skeleton of Right Whale. (From Nat. Hist. Mus. Guide] . 25 5. Embryo of Neo/neris, showing dorsal dermal plates. (From Kiikenthal) . ,, 32 6. Portion of dorsal fin of Porpoise, showing dermal ossicles. (From Kiikenthal) . ,, 32 7. Portion of skin of Neomeris, showing dermal ossicles. (From Kiikenthal) . ,, 32 8. Cervical vertebras of Right Whale (From van Beneden and Gervais) . ... 39 9. Series of breast-bones of Toothed Whales. (From van Beneden and Gervais) . ... 43 10. Breast-bones of Whalebone Whales. (From Fischer) . ,, 44 11. Skull of Etirhinodelphis cochetenxii, lateral view. (From van Beneden and Gervais) . ... 51 12. Tympanic bones. (From van Beneden and Gervais) ,, 53 13. Shoulder-blades of Whales. (From Fischer) . ,, 53 14. Fcetus of Beluga. (From O. Mitller) . ,, 56 15. Stomachs of various Cetacea. (From Jungklaus) ,, 60 16. Series of lower jaws to illustrate gradual diminution of teeth. (From van Beneden and Gervais) . ... 70 17. Embryo of Bahznoptera muscuhis, showing rudimentary teeth. (From Kiikenthal) . ,, 76 18. Head of Bal&noptera, showing whalebone. (From a specimen in the Nat. Hist. Museum) . ,, 83 19. Skull of Bal<cna ajistralis, dorsal view. (From van Benedan and Gervais) . 118 20. Skull of BalcEnoptera sibbaldii, dorsal view. (P'rom van Beneden and Gervais) . 119 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. PAGE 21. Baltzna australis. (From cast in Nat. Hist. Museum) . To face 122 22. Baltznoptera borealis. (From Collett) . ,, 154 _ 23. Stranded Rorqual. (From a photograph lent by E. J. Garwood, Esq., F.G.S.) . ,,158 24. Skull of Physeter from above. (From Flower) . 194 25. Skull of same from the side. (From Flower) . , 195 26. Stranded Sperm Whale. (From Pouchet and Chaves) ,, 200 27. Sperm Whale (?) attacking a ship. (From Olaus Magnus) . 204 28. Skeleton of Mesoplodon. (From Flower) . 215 of . 29. Skull Hyperoodon. (From D. Gray) ,, 222 30. Outline of Hyperoodon. (From D. Gray) . 225 31. Ziphius sp. (From Scotland Parker). ,, 235 32. Dolphin (Delphimis delphis]. (From Flower) . ,, 255 33. Dusky Dolphin {Lagenorhynchus obscurus}. (From cast in Nat. Hist. Mus.) . ,, 263 34. Elliott's Dolphin (Steno perniger). (From cast in Nat. Hist. Mus.) ,, 269 35. Tursiops ttirsio. (From Flower) . ,, 275 36. Heavyside's Dolphin (Cephalorhynclms heavisidei}. (From cast in Nat. Hist. Mus.) . ,, 278 . 280 37. Caa'ing Whale (Globicepkalus melas}. (From Murie) ,, 38. Grampus griseus. (From Flower) . ,, 284 39. Killer Whale (Oreo). (From cast in Nat. Hist. Mus.) . ,, 287 40. Skull of Platanista, lateral view. (From van Beneden and Gervais) . ... 295 INTRODUCTORY subject of which the present volume treats THEis undoubtedly one of interest to the general public as well as to the naturalist. The huge size of many of these creatures, the rarity of the occurrence of some of them, and the mystery which envelops the habits of the great bulk of the species is attractive. Besides, to many people the whale is an ingenious paradox, by reason of the fact that it lives in the water and yet is not a fish. At no more remote a date than 1895, thought Professor Huxley,* this question of the fish -like nature of whales was not settled for many persons.
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