BEAKED WHALES 227 



The same writer, in describing a specimen of this 

 species, found that the massive forehead is not a 

 character of the male only ; M. Bouvier's example 

 was a female, and had a well-developed pair of 

 maxillary crests like those figured on p. 223 of the 

 adult male. It does not appear to be certain whether 

 this specimen is to be relegated to the category of 

 hens with cock's combs, and other instances of the 

 old female occasionally taking on the characters of 

 the male, or not. Another sexual difference, according 

 to Fischer, is in the length of the pectoral fin ; in the 

 male it is -}, and in the female T ^ of the body length. 

 The Greenlandish name of this whale, "Anarnak," 

 expresses in a naive way the exceedingly purga- 

 tive character of the fat of the Hyperoodon. But 

 although the fat has this unpleasant effect, the flesh, 

 according to M. Bouvier, is eatable if rather in- 

 sipid. 



As is the case with other Ziphioid whales, Hyper- 

 oodon rostratum has grooves upon the throat. But 

 there is some dispute as to the number of these. 

 One pair is the usual allowance, but Kiikenthal found 

 four in embryos studied by him. In an example of 

 twenty feet long Turner found these grooves to 

 measure nineteen inches. Another external character 

 of importance is the presence or absence of hairs on 

 the snout. Kiikenthal saw what he believed to be 

 indications of four hairs on each side ; but a histolo- 

 gical study did not give definite results. 



In connection with the fact that a distinct voice 

 is possessed by Ziphioid whales, I may call attention 



