Anatomical Structure of certain of the Cetacea. 401 



cessor of Mr HUNTER, Sir EVERARD HOME, who, in a paper 

 published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 

 speaks familiarly of the milk-tusks of the narwals*. That it was 

 possible, I repeat, that the dentition of this animal might really 

 differ from the other Cetacea, in the having temporary teeth fol- 

 lowed by permanent ones, was a circumstance which, in so far 

 as regards its possibility, could not be questioned ; but still I 

 doubted the fact, and this doubt seemed confirmed by a note 

 subjoined to the history of the narwal, in the Fossil Remains 

 of Baron CUVIER, which note, though rather obscure in its style, 

 impresses my mind with a belief that that distinguished anato- 

 mist holds opinions similar to those I now submit to the So- 

 ciety ; and, as the zoology of this remarkable cetaceous animal is 

 as yet extremely imperfect, I shall take the liberty of submitting 

 to the Society a few remarks as to the structure of its skeleton. 



Skeleton of the Narwal. 



When Baron CUVIER published the last edition of the " Osse- 

 mens Fossiles," he had not seen a skeleton of this remarkable 

 whale. 



' '^ :i -jl.:? r 



* All anatomists will readily admit the possibility that the mode of dentition of 

 the narwal might be found, on inquiry, to differ from that prevailing in the ordi- 

 nary Cetacea, inasmuch as the anatomical facts, and the inferences from them, can- 

 not, as I had the honour to demonstrate to the Society on a former occasion, be 

 transferred by a priori reasoning to any other species, even though that species be 

 strictly congenerous : at least this has been the impression under which I have now, 

 for a very considerable number of years, carried on extensive inquiries into the ana- 

 tomical structure of animals. And here I may take the liberty of remarking, that 

 this does seem to me to have been the impression under which all anatomists of any 

 reputation have acted, notwithstanding the observations to the contrary which have 

 been lately brought before this Society and the public, by a distinguishea British 



