New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-12
RALEEN OR WHALEBONE.

In one group of whales, the Mystacocetes or
whalebOne whales, the lack of teeth is supplied
BY remarkable structure known as baleen or
whalebone. Baleen consists OF series OF nat
Der, on each side of the palate, separated by
bare interval along the middle line. They are
placed transversely to the long AXIS OF the
palate, with very short spaces between tnem p.
form, with the base attached to the palate, and
tho apex hanging downward. The outer edge
of the blade il hard and smooth, but the inner
edge and apex fray out into long bristly hbres,
SO that the roof of the whales mouth looks as
if covered with hair, az described by Aristotle.
The blades are longer near the middle OF the
series. and gradually diminish near the front
and back of the mouth They are supported
aud bound together for certain distance from ,
um, secretcd by the surface of the palatal
membrane or matrix of the whalebone in the
intervals Of the lamellar processes. This Is. the
*intermediate substance" OF Hunter, the
sgum OF the whalcrs. The function OF the
whalebone is to strain tho water from the small
marine mollusks, crustaceans, or fish upon
which the whales subsst In feeding they fill
the immense mouth with water containing
shoals Of these small creatures, and then, on
their closing the jaws and raising the tongue,
80 as to diminish the cavity of the mouth, the
water streams out through the morrow inter-
walls between the hairy fringe of the whalebone
blades, and escapes through the lips, leaving
the living prey to be swallowed;
1t is n remarkable fact, saws Nature, first de-
monstrated by Godfrey St. Hilairc, and since
amply confirmed by Cuvier, Eschricht, Julin
aud others, that in tho fGtal state the whale
bone whales have numerous minute calcihed
teeth lying in the dental groove OF both upper r
fullest development about the middle OF fBtal
life, after which period they are absorbed, DO
trace of them remaining at the time OF birth.
Their structure and mode of development has
L. flry hat 0h Qcf ris n
of ordinary mammalian teeth. 1t is not until
after the disappearance of these teeth that the
baleen, or whalebOnc, makes its appearance.
MOVEMENTS OF THUNDERSTCRNS.
Thunderstorms have for the last four years
been the subject of carefGl observation both In
Bavaria and Wurtemberg, where the CANCERS
which result from them, and still more from
hail sho wers, make the farmer take Keen In
tcrest In the weather. The number OF weather
stations being found insufficient, the Meteoro-
logical Office proposed that people IN all dis
fricts should undertake to send IN regular re-
ports Immediately after each storm. For this
purpose postal cards were issued, on which the
exact time of first thunder and lightning OBJ
served; wind direction before, during, ana
after the storm rain and hail periods, and
further observations were to he stated. The
appeal was readily responded to, and there are
at present 279 regular observers who nave
been found prompt in dispatching their cards,
which pass free of charge.
The statistics thus gained show that thunder
storms principally arise in localities which
favor local differences of temperature, so that
certain places may he considered their breeding
Grounds. They affect most intensely the ridges
between two local centres of barometric de-
preston, and move in long, narrow fields,
different points of which, even If far apart,
being visited at exactly the same tune. Inc
storms proceed in direction vertical to the
front of the field, independently of local winds.
By far the greater number take place between
2 and p. m, and between and a. m. II is
somewhat strange that during the year 1882
both these maxima were delayed by about m
hour. In one case sheet lightning was perceived
at a distance OF $50 miles. This system Ut OBJ
scryation was first introduced in Bavaria, but
was soon adopted by Wurtemberg.