DOMINION NEWS
RARE WHALE FOUND. I Per Press Association.] WANGANUI, May 26. Last week a lad named Prater, who has a habit of wandering along the South Beach. came upon a whale some 20ft in length. On reporting this to the Alexander Museum, the curator. Mr George Shepherd, accompanied by two assistants, went to Ihe beach and found a “Mesopolodon grayi.” one of the beaked whaleswhich frequent these southern waters, i but which are seldom seen. Someone| had lit a lire under one flipper and - the flesh was scarred and burnt. M''| Shepherd and the boys flensed the creature and brought back the flippers and skull. The rest has been safely buried, and in due course the remains will be also taken to the Museum. The grayi is a male. The museum was fortunate to obtain a perfect female some years ago on a beach a few miles north of Wanganui.l Already Mr Shepherd has noted nine, points of difference between the two specimens. Very little is known about whales, and the museums are gradually adding to the knowledge of other observers. The same lad found a perfect little dolphin on the beach some time ago, and this was retrieved by the curator, who is grateful for information which leads to the recovery of these specimens.
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Grey River Argus, 28 May 1938, Page 8
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216DOMINION NEWS Grey River Argus, 28 May 1938, Page 8
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