. T—" r 17 18 19 LENGTH OF WHALE IN METRES Fig. 139. Size of the testis in Blue whales of different lengths. As was to be expected, the size of the testis up to a point varies with the size of the whale, this being in part due to the fact that the former becomes much larger at the advent of sexual maturity. Fig. 139 shows the testes of 180 Blue whales plotted according to the size of the testis and the length of the whale. It will be seen that up to a length of about 23-5 m. there is a general tendency for the size of the testis to increase, but from 23-5 m. onwards it cannot be said that
. T—" r 17 18 19 LENGTH OF WHALE IN METRES Fig. 139. Size of the testis in Blue whales of different lengths. As was to be expected, the size of the testis up to a point varies with the size of the whale, this being in part due to the fact that the former becomes much larger at the advent of sexual maturity. Fig. 139 shows the testes of 180 Blue whales plotted according to the size of the testis and the length of the whale. It will be seen that up to a length of about 23-5 m. there is a general tendency for the size of the testis to increase, but from 23-5 m. onwards it cannot be said that there is any correlation between its size and the length of the whale. The plotted points represent all the Blue whale testis measurements which have been taken (in large numbers of immature whales of course the testes were not examined) and are plotted therefore quite irrespec- tively of the time of year. It is to be supposed from Fig. 139 that during immaturity the testis increases its size ver}^ slowly, but that when sexual maturity is reached (around 22*5 m.) it rapidly increases in size, and continues to increase over the period during which the whale increases its length by one or more metres. Among whales over 23-5 m.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectscientificexpedition
