“NATURAL HISTORY OF WHALES."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 95, 12 June 1911, Page 8

“NATURAL HISTORY OF WHALES."

The Philosophical Institute ot Canterbury mot in the Old Chemical Laboratory at Canterbury College last Thursday night. Mr A. M. Wright r.reridecl, and there was a large attendance. The programme for the evening was an illustrated lecture by Mr I)! C. Lillie, R.A., biologist to the Antarctic Expedition, 1910, on “1 ho Natural History of \\ hales. Mr Lillie, after giving an account of the various stages ot development ol whales, said they had skins like those of lishes, waterproof, and capable ol osing peeled off in transparent sheets. Under a leather-like layer they had a mass of fat or blubber. One would imagine that with all this fat, whales would not suffer from the cold, but a paper had been written on “Rheumatism in Whales,” and when down south', he had heard a dolphin whale coughing. Whales had got to store up every bib of air they could and hence they had tremendous lung capacity because they only came to the surface occasionally to breathe. Whalebone, Mr Lillie said, was simply a growth of the epidermis in the mouth, and the beginnings of a similar growth were seen on the roofs of the mouths of human beings. Cows’ horns were made of the same substance, which was hair matted together. Whalebone whales got their food by taking immense amounts of water into their months, which water was sifted through the whalebone, tho minute animals being left behind and swallowed for food. Whales did not masticate their food, the teeth being simply used to hold tho food while it was being gulped down. To show’ that tho teeth were not used for masticating, Mr Lillie mentioned tlib fact that lie had seen one with barnacles on its teeth. Tho other kind of whales were known as toothed whales, urn! these ate lish. Hie whaioooae n ■ a airs op the t’>o of t.noir head for feeling the tiny shrimps, etc., i.s.u xur tuou, since „.iey cu,.,.i nui s/'e tin’s food on account of its smallness and could not smell it on acnt 'W i-.avmg »•»> s- s' e? ‘-men. A prominent typo of toothed whale was ...... sperm w,...m, wiiicn ate nothing but cuttle fish. T’Jicso were valued for the spermaceti or great mass of Fat in the, head.. Mr in I lie said he thought this fat was really intended for tlie. animal to live on when food was scarce, as sperm whales had been scon with heads in a flabby, emaciated condition. If so, it would Jive on a similar principle to the camel, which stored up fat in two humps on its back and water in chambers in its stomach. lie said whale flesh tasted Mko beef and was well worth eating. Referring to tho title of his lecture, .Mr Lillie said not much was know? l about the habits of whales, and the only way to collect authentic data would he to have a whale aquarium. Whales could bo caught alive in a net in the Japanese fashion and dragged into a specially constructed aquarium, where their mode of life could bo- observed. He also stated that at tbe present rate of killing on the emis) of Scotland, whaler, would be wiped out altogether shortly. Tim sluggish tv no of whales ‘(‘bight” whales) had been 'the first to be caught, and it was only later on that the whalers could catch <4lO I'mdei cues such as the sperm whales. There wore low oi these latter left now. He urged that legislation should he introLmcd to preserve .them and prevent indiscriminate killing. M?’ Lillie was accorded a hearty vote of (hanks folios interesting lecture*. Among those present wore Lieut. Fennell and tho officers of tho Terra Nova, and Captain Itollons, of the Government steamer Hinemoa, who took the Institute’s expedition to the snb-Anta retie islands. Iho Melbourne Clothing Company announces the arrival of a second big consignment of clean, specially selected British alnny riding coats' with good long capes, 'as issued to the Royal field Artillery. These famous coats are known as ‘‘First Grade,” and are the very best of their kind supplied by the Riritish Government to its lorccs, both at Home and abroad. The prices as usual the Jcwost in Taranaki.-* When you get Roslyn you get the best in all-wool Blankets, Rugs, 1 weeds, 'Worsteds, Hosiery, Unshrinkable Flannel and Underwear, “Delta” finish; so when purchasing woollen goods a I wavs say, “Koslvn, please!”*