The St. George Island specimens were first made known by Mr. James Judge,
special agent of the Treasury Department, resident at the Pribilof
Islands, in a letter dated June 16, 1903, as follows:
I was much surprised the other day to find a pair of whales ashore near
East Rookery [St. George Island]. They lay about 150 yards apart. The
female was 40 feet 2 inches, the male 25 feet 5 inches in length. The
species is not positively identified, but tallies closely with the
Globe Encyclopedia description of Bottlehead or Bottlenose whale,
_Hyperodoön bidentatus_. Natives call it “Tcha-dhan.” The male is
without teeth; female has two teeth in front of lower jaw.[52] The skin
is thin, smooth, white underneath, and black above. Dorsal fin small
and well aft. Caudal large and powerful. Eyes very small. Ears not
visible.
Thinking that the skeleton might be of use, the bones of the female
were cut out and placed high and dry on the grass. Four ribs were
broken; otherwise the bones are intact. The male was towed to East
Landing, and with the aid of a capstan deposited beyond reach of surf.
Some blubber was saved. The foxes will clean up the bones during
August, so that in all probability both skeletons will be available
this fall. * * * I inclose some measurements, taken roughly, with a
5-foot tape line.
_Whale measurements, June 11, 1903._
Female. Male.
Ft. in. Ft. in.
Greatest length 40 2 25 5
Greatest circumference (much bloated) 20 0 12 0
Extremity of upper lip to nostril 4 4 3 0
Distance between eyes 4 6 3 6
Extremity of lower lip to angle of mouth 2 5 1 9
Circumference of head at eyes 8 10 7 0
Lower half of snout 10 inches from end 2 3 1 9
Upper half of snout 12 inches from end 2 1 1 7
Length of [pectoral] fin along outer edge 5 0 3 5
Circumference of tail [at] junction [with] 5 0 3 5
caudal fin
Distance between extreme points of caudal fin 10 2 6 3
Anus to end of body 11 8 7 7
Anus to vagina 1 2 ... ...
Anus to penis ... ... 1 8
Length of vagina 1 3 ... ...
Length of penis ... ... 1 9
Penis at base ... ... 1 5
Height of dorsal fin 0 12 0 7½
Dorsal fin along spine to end of body 11 11 7 5
Length of nipple from raised base 0 1 ... ...
The skeletons remained on the island until August, 1904, when they were
carried by the revenue cutter _McCulloch_ to Dutch Harbor and afterwards
to San Francisco. Through a misunderstanding they were allowed to remain
on the beach at St. George Island until November, 1903, and suffered
considerable injury. On that date they were deposited in a storehouse by
Maj. Ezra W. Clark, assistant treasury agent in charge, who afterwards
presented the photograph of the female above mentioned. (Pl. 42, fig. 1.)
The latter shows the short, narrow, pointed pectoral fin, and long,
rather slender beak.
Another specimen of _Berardius_ was found stranded on St. George Island
on August 21, 1909. The following information regarding it was received
from Maj. Ezra W. Clark, under date of September 4, 1909:
On August 21, 1909, after an unusually severe gale for the season,
accompanied with heavy sea, a beaked whale was stranded under the
cliffs of the northeast coast of St. George Island. Its position was
such that it was reached with great difficulty. It was undergoing
decomposition. I succeeded in getting the following information:
Sex, female.
Length from tip of beak to end of body, 22 feet.
Length of beak, tip to base, 2 feet 5 inches.
Length of head, not including beak, 2 feet.
Length of tail, or width of flukes at base, 1 foot 10 inches.
Girth around beak at its base, 2 feet.
Girth around body at dorsal fin, about 12 feet.
Girth around body at base of tail, 3 feet.
Spread of tail, or flukes, 6 feet.
Length of dorsal fin at base, 1 foot 10 inches.
Fore fins, 1 foot 10 inches.
I think that I shall not be able to get the skeleton of this whale,
owing to the rough seas prevailing.