RORQUALS 165 



number of the late Dr. Gray's "species" Captain 

 Scammon observes : " We have frequently recognised 

 upon the California coast every species here described, 

 and even in the same school or 'gam.' Moreover, 

 we have experienced the greatest difficulty in finding 

 any two of these strange animals externally alike, 

 or possessing any marked generic or specific differ- 

 ences." If there are differences of colour, Scammon 

 goes on to remark, the number of species must be 

 quite indefinite, as every combination and permutation 

 of black, white, and grey are to be found in their 

 colour. 



It is pointed out, however, by MM. van Beneden 

 and Gervais (in their Osteographie dcs Ce'tace'es} 

 that the southern form of Megaptera, which has been 

 termed M. lalandii, differs from the northern by 

 certain features in the scapula. In the former animal 

 there is a distinct though small projection from the 

 margin of the bladebone in front, which occupies 

 the place of an acromion, and, what is more remark- 

 able, an acromion like that of Platanista^ that is, 

 a rising from the edge of the scapula. Of this 

 process there is no trace in the northern Megaptera, 

 but, on the other hand, a faint process not so well 

 marked, and lying lower clown on the bone, occupying 

 in fact rather the position of a rudimentary coracoid 

 process. 



The name "Hump-backed" applied to this Ceta- 

 cean is due to the low dorsal fin, in the relative size 

 of which, however, there seems from the various 

 figures published to be some differences. It is, how- 



