Translation 2783

...; 223
It. is believed that there are several se parate herds of •nlue
wha.les,' w^iich' neel) ,ore-or-less-z^er:.:a,.ently to c:e.Ciitite migration
routes and feecîin;-grounds.
In the rrortnerrr part of the :,tlantic ûcean blue whales feed
mainly 'on those species of crustaceans that for,>> :nass concentrations,
such as 'i•hysai:oessa inerr,iis, wliich is up to 2.5 cm long, and
R,ycti.pha.nes noxvefica, which is up to 6 or 7 cm lonc'. i.o fishes
have been i'ollllQ in their stomach contents.
The niales attain e>e;cual maturity when their body length is
20.5 metres, and the fer:iales when their bocy length is 21.5 metres
(devi.ations to eitiller side are possible) . ;iatirrg takes place in warm
waters, mainly in winter. The calf is carried for about a year, and
at birth its lengti-i is almost one-third of that of its mother. Lactati.on.le.sts
for rather more than half a year, During the 24 hours
the calf takes very frequent feedings of tfie nrot'rrer' s milk, which
has a fat content of 35i^^-46i*, enabling ti-^e new-oorn calf to F,rovr
several centimetres every day. By ti:e. time that milk-fec.cïing ends
the calf' has almost doublea its original lenzith, up to 14 or 15
met.r.es:
A case its known of inâ.lrc being x'oui;d in tnc s•tomachof a male
t•tliose
body len[!;th was 19.2 metres. It is believed trra.t the feuialGs
mate once in every two or three years and give birth, as a rule, to
a single calf.
Plue whales usually keep to the open parts of the sea, but
th(,,y
have been observed near the coasts more o.i'teii than in ot;ler
areas. •They move more slowly on thei3_^ feeding-grounds, at fror.l five
to seven knots, but when alari:ied they --reat:ly increase their speed,
up to- fifteen or twent,y knots.
;'slue
whales can stay unuer water for 40 or 50 minutes. Uéfore
a prolonged dive they emit from five to fifteen suout,, u}, to ten or
twelve metres high. •zhey do not display t:ieir flu:`ces ^;rrien divine.
'l'heir -i,arasites and diseases have not been fully investigated.
i[untia-q; of blue wlha.les ( see A1>>>::r,cii^. b) uc^;an iii 1 8[ï^, uut
by 18130 c,h.;ir nu,-,bers had e.lx'c'a.df E;rca-t:7.,y ui,_,â.r,isJred, 1•riiich urougilt
^.Jle lru:A:ii_,^l of the.n practically co end.
.,,y
the bcE;ini,i.,.,, of Li-te 20tli centur.y tuc s %ocic:; of bl.uo wiiales
Wer.o fouocl L o be.^ :,cri.ou.:,l,y de{,leted as a i•e.^u.lt of
;.;:[nco o.i i.t,um 1'ro,n
of 'l;-tr)'a 1•1141.1 ,:,.Lc, 1>Jtio 6 11.1 1;),JH.
:cillirrg.
cc,aotctil. ,.Au I.1.0),;i lutc_. uuv>> .l i ah.i.l,i.tk:cl.