Thompson on Delphinns bidentatus 



difference in figure of the male and female does not seem to 

 have occurred to either Bell or Jardine. But as far as regards 

 the identity of Hunter's Delphinus bidentatus, and. Baussard's 

 Hyperoodon Honfloriensis, my opinion is founded on a spe- 

 cimen of a Cetacean stranded just below the town of Hull last 

 year, which was exhibited for many days here, and the skele- 

 ton of which forms now part of the Museum of the Hull 

 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



The animal in question before dissection was carefully 

 examined by myself and many others, and due attention paid 

 to the mouth, and before the flesh was removed, every one 

 declared it had no teeth, in this respect it quite agreed with 

 Baussard's specimen of a mother and cub stranded at Hon- 

 fleur, of which Jardine says, p. 195, " The circumstances on 

 which the claim of these specimens to be considered generic 

 rest, are the total want of teeth in either jaw.'''' 



Upon the skeleton of the Hull specimen being prepared, 

 however, on removing the gums " two strong and robust teeth 

 were discovered to exist at the extremity of the lower jaw," 

 though previously covered and entirely concealed by the 

 gums. 



Here then we have an animal in its perfect state, agreeing 

 with the creature which Baussard described in a similar state, 

 and also agreeing in its skeleton state, with the skeleton in the 

 Hunterian Museum, described by Hunter; thus, though both 

 are describing the same animal, yet one having seen it in the 

 recent, the other in the skeleton state, each gives a different 

 account as to its teeth, like the far-famed travellers' dispute 

 about the camelion's colour. 



In figure the Hull specimen was a fac simile of Jardine's 

 Hyperoodon Hon floriensis, figured plate 13 of his volume, 

 with the exception that the engraver of that plate has insert- 

 ed two lateral teeth in the upper jaw of the figure ; 1 say the 

 engraver, for I conceive that Sir W. Jardine never authorized 

 their being inserted after describing the generic character of 

 the animal to consist " in its total want of teeth in either 

 jaw" These supposititious teeth in the upper jaw should be 

 immediately erased from Sir W. Jardine's plate, before any 

 more impressions are struck off. The plate in Bell's work p. 

 492, is also a good resemblance of the Hull whale, though 

 perhaps not so striking a portrait of it as Jardine's, with the 

 exception of the lateral teeth, which do not occur in Bell's 

 plate, rendering it more correct than Jardine's, and less likely 

 to create doubts in the mind of young naturalists. 



Speaking of Baussard's whales, (mother and cub), Sir W. 

 Jardine says " Bounaterre in describing the individuals exa- 



