SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES OF BAL^NOPTERA. 341 



law fixed by a superintending power, who has declared, thus 

 far shalt thou go but no farther ? How can we account for it by 

 the theory of spontaneous generation, which asserts that life 

 and organization is only a dynamic power combined with 

 certain imponderables acting upon each other ? Here we have 

 an organism actually in existence, possessing every function 

 essential to life, but not to reproduction of its kind. It is ad- 

 mitted by all the advocates of the doctrine, that when an or- 

 ganism is brought into existence by the power alluded to, it 

 is then complete in its kind, and can take its station among 

 its fellow organisms (without further aid from its spontaneous 

 generation), to produce its typical descendants ; but we see, 

 in the case of hybridism, a , direct contradiction of those 

 assumed powers. 



Art. VI. — Dimensions and Description of a supposed new species 

 q/*Bal3Bnoptera, stranded on Charmouth Beach, February 5, 1840. 

 By R. H. Sweeting, Esq.^ 



DIMENSIONS. 



Ft. In. 



Length of body 44 



Breadth 21 



Breadth of pectoral fin „ 18 



Length of ditto 5 6 



Length of dorsal fin „ 18 



Height of ditto 1 



From point of lower jaw to origin of pectoral fin 10 9 

 From posterior edge of dorsal fin, to origin of 



the horizontal tail 11 



Each lobe of tail from base to point 3 



Full spread of lobes fi-om tip to tip 9 



Opening of eyelids fi'om anterior to posterior 



angle „ 6 



Diameter of bony socket of eye „ 8 



Diameter of eyeball „ 7 



Colour of iris, brown ; pupil circular. 



The spiracles were placed longitudinally, and presented 

 the appearance of slits or fissures in the integuments of the 

 bones of the face, nearly meeting anteriorly, and gradually 



» The wliale is the property of John Bullen, Esq., as Lord of the Ma- 

 nor of Marshwood, and Lord Paramount of the Hundred. 



