Doctor Stejneger has very kindly placed in my hands his original notes on
the young individual examined by him in Bering Island June 5, 1883 (Cat.
No. 142,188) and they are given below in full:
When the news reached me that a small “plavum” was found dead ashore at
the North Rookery of Bering Island, I immediately ordered dogs, and
arrived at the place in company with the “starost.” The carcass was
found lying on the very beach where the fur seals during the summer
occupy the ground. As the bulk of the seals had not yet arrived, only a
few “sikatschi” were seen in the immediate neighborhood, but it was
reported that they had retired from the place on account of the smell
of the putrefied body, as it was thought. The natives, fearing that it
would drive the seals from the rookery altogether if left on the beach
any longer, were very anxious to get it away as fast as possible, and
it was only with some hesitation that they would allow one to stand on
the rookery long enough to take a few measurements. The animal was
quite a young one, and I conjectured that it had died immediately after
having been born, as I think there were some remains of the umbilical
cord. Hardly any of the bones were fully ossified. Under these
circumstances, it was out of the question to have the whole skeleton
preserved, as the dismembering and the separation of the putrified
flesh from the bones and cartilages would require more care and
consequently more time than the natives were willing to allow. I was
therefore glad to secure the head and some of the neck vertebræ. Even
that tried their patience, as the head was going to separate into its
single bones and the not yet united component pieces, and consequently
needed special care and attention.
The carcass was lying with the back upward, this visible part being
uniform black, and still in such a state as to allow of measuring. The
lower surface was in a very advanced state of decomposition. Part of
the belly was torn away, together with the entrails, and the genitalia
and anus were not to be found. As stated above, I think that I could
recognize the umbilical cord attached to a tatter of the skin. Of
course, measurements of the lower side and of the circumference of the
body, except at the narrowest place of the tail, could not be taken.
_Table of dimensions._
Meters.
Total length from tip of upper jaw to notch of caudal fin, 4.81
along the middle of the back, without, however, following
the angle between beak and forehead
From tip of upper jaw to fore border of spiracles .53
From fore border of the spiracles to fore border of dorsal fin 2.63
Length of dorsal fin .29
Height of dorsal fin .11
From hind border of dorsal fin to the beginning of the caudal .93
fin
From the same point to notch of the caudal fin 1.36
Distance between the tips of the lobes of the caudal fin .91
Depth of the angle of the posterior margin of caudal fin .20
From tip of upper jaw to the angle of mouth .36
From the same to anterior angle of eye .475
Diameter of eye opening .06
From eye to eye over the spiracle .59
Distance between ends of spiracle .08
Length of beak from the forehead .23
Breadth of the beak at the forehead .18
From tip of upper jaw to anterior insertion of the pectoral .80
fin
Pectoral fin along the anterior border .51
Breadth of pectoral fin[a] at the insertion .20
Circumference of tail at its narrowest point, just before the .62
caudal fin
[a] The pectoral fin rather straight, of equal breadth, and abruptly
ending.