File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17972986450).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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280 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL of this ocean bore to those of the Atlantic was unknown although some cetologists believed that all the large whales were cosmopolitan, and with this almost un- touched field before us and the unusual facilities which a shore station offers for the study of such huge animals, the time seemed opportune to take up the work in the North Pacific. Early in May, 1908, I left for Van- more than five or six large whales, one can realize what a wonderful opportunity was presented for the study of a group of animals which, from the standpoint of evolution alone, are among the most interesting in the world. The shore stations are located at con- venient points near the feeding grounds of the animals, where the ships can come in each night bringing the day's catch.
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Humpback whale showing tongue. The whale's tongue had been forced out of its mouth by air which was pumped into the body in order to keep the animal afloat. The tongue is a soft flabby mass of tissue which is held in place by the jaw bones couver Island and began work there. During the time spent at the stations almost a hundred whales representing four different species were under obser- vation and each specimen was carefully described, measured and photographed. When one stops to think that before shore-whaling began, a naturalist might spend an entire lifetime without seeing The whales are anchored at the end of a long inclined platform called the "slip" and the huge carcasses, sometimes weigh- ing seventy tons each, are drawn en- tirely out of the water. By means of his notebook, tape measure and camera the naturalist, if he works quickly, can bring away with him a fairly complete record of the animal's external anatomy before

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