196 A BOOK OF WHALES 



for the reception of the heads of ribs II-V. The 

 fifth vertebra has, in addition to the posterior facet, 

 one small one upon the anterior edge of the centrum, 

 so that the capitulum of the fifth rib is inter-central, 

 articulating, as it does, with two centra. 



In the sixth vertebra it is the anterior of the two 

 centrum-facets which is the larger. In the case of 

 the next vertebra the posterior facet is still further 

 reduced, while the anterior facet is borne upon a 

 tubercle. The characters of the eighth vertebra are 

 an exaggeration of those of the seventh, and in the 

 ninth there is no trace at all of the posterior facet. 

 The tenth vertebra is peculiar by reason of the fact 

 that the lar^e tubercle which arises from the centrum 



o 



and carries the capitular head of the rib bends back 

 above and nearly joins the transverse process of the 

 neural arch, a canal, nearly complete, being formed 

 between the two. The rib of this vertebra is in 

 consequence only provided with a capitulum. The 

 last dorsal vertebra has a very long lateral process 

 arising from the centrum, bearing at its extremity 

 the rudimentary eleventh rib. The transverse 

 process has completely disappeared. The eight 

 lumbar vertebrae are keeled below. There are 

 fourteen chevron bones. 



A curious matter concerning the ribs was asserted 



o 



by Wall. He stated that the ribs of the left side are 

 of larger dimensions than those of the right. The 

 asymmetry of the head is thus alleged to be extended 

 to the trunk. Sir W. Flower so far supported this 

 view by stating that the total weight of the ribs of 



