THE OKARITO WHALE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 329, 16 October 1908, Page 8

THE OKARITO WHALE.

AN.IMMENSE!SKELETON. .. (BY TELEGRAPH —rtIESS ASSOCIATION!) Chrlstchurch, October 15. The transportation ,of the skeleton of the Okarito whale from the trucks in the sta-tion-yard to its final' destination, the Canterbury museum, was accomplished to-day. The bones were loaded from the trucks on to horse wagons, and thus conveyed to the museum grounds, where they were unloaded on the -spare- pieco of ground at the rear of the building. Tho operation was supervised by Mr. E. R. Waite, curator of the museum, and there were soveral gentlemen who wero interested in the lengthy cetacean from a scientific standpoint. The bones were arranged roughly in the order which they will ultimately fill; and as the work of arrangement advanced some idea was given of tho immensity of the skeleton. Tho ribs and vertobral bones perhaps give one the most vivid impression of what must have been the enormous bulk' of the living mammal. ' Tho skeleton as a whole dwarfs into insignificance 1 the exhibits which are already on view in the institution. Thoy aro decidedly puny when a comparison is- made. The museum authorities were agreeably surprised to find that the bones were in a remarkably clean condition. The salvaging party have done their work with most commendable thoroughness.