Philip Reitz, age 8, of New Hartford, New York,

How long can a whale stay under water?

The whale spends his time diving for food and coming up to the surface to breathe. As a rule he comps up ovary 15 or 20 minutes. However, something very interesting may occur down below. Mr. Monster may wish to stay down longer to investigate. He may also wish to stay down longer when a whaling ship is prowling the surface. And this he can do.

Records have been taken of whales staying under castor far an hour or more. A11 this time the big fellow is holding his breath. And sooner or later he must surface. The first thing he does is to let out the stale air in his lungs. It puffs up through a blow hole in a steamy white plume. It looks like a fountain of w^tor. Actually the whale blows out only steam and stile air. Then he fills his monstrous lungs and down he goes again into the deep.