SO AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF MATERIALS FOR MUSEUM STUDY AND DISPLAY.
THEREFORE, EVERY ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE TO GET THE CARCASS INTO THE BEST
HANDS. DEAD CETACEANS, LIKE THE LIVE ONES, ARE PROTECTED BY LAW AND MAY
NOT BE REMOVED WITHOUT A PERMIT. The procedure for obtaining permission
to collect them is the same as that outlined for live strandings. The
majority of the institutions along the western North Atlantic coast will
respond to calls about live or dead strandings. Even if you are unable
to contact an appropriate official, you can still collect some valuable
information by identifying the specimen, using the following key, and by
collecting measurements (see Appendix D).

[Illustration: Appendix Figure C1.--Whales and dolphins, like this mixed
school of false killer whales and bottlenosed dolphins, sometimes strand
themselves individually or as entire herds for a complex of still
incompletely understood reasons. (_Photo from Japan by S. Ohsumi._)]

Identifying the Animal

Cetaceans may be found during or shortly after the stranding or many
months later, when the carcass is bloated or rotted nearly beyond
recognition. If the stranded animal is alive or freshly dead, it can be
identified by any of the characteristics itemized in the text. But even
if it is in an advanced stage of decomposition it can be identified
using the key below. In general numbers and descriptions of teeth (Table
1) and numbers and descriptions of baleen plates (Table 2) persist
longest as reliable identifying characteristics. If they are still
detectable on the carcass, numbers and lengths of ventral grooves may
also be used to separate the balaenopterine whales.[17]

[Footnote 17: The tables were prepared primarily from Tomilin (1967) and
supplemented by miscellaneous published papers and our own observations.
The sections on toothed whales in the key were developed following the
general outline of Moore (1953).]

In order to use the key below, begin with the first pair of opposing
characteristics--one of the two will apply to the specimen you are
examining. On the line following that statement there will be a
paragraph number, go to that paragraph. There you will find two more
paired, opposing characteristics. Again, one of the two will apply to
the specimen you are examining. Select that one and go to the paragraph
indicated on the line following it. Continue this procedure until the
statement which is true for your specimen is followe