274 FAUNA AMERICANA, 



Order CETA. 



Characters. Body pisciform, terminated by a 

 caudal appendage of a cartilaginous nature, and 

 horizontal. 



Two anterior members only, in form of fins; the 

 bones of which are very flat and short. 



Head joined to the body by a very short and 

 thick neck, composed of seven cervical vertebrse, 

 very thin, and in part anchylosed with each other. 



Two pectoral or abdominal mammae. 



Ears, external meatus very small ; skin more or 

 less thick, without any hair ; brain large ; the he- 

 mispheres much developed. 



Petrous portion of the temporal bone, which 

 contains the internal organ of hearing, entirely 

 separate from the head, or attached only by liga- 

 ments. 



.Pelvis, and bones of the posterior extremities, 

 represented by two rudimentary bones, lost in the 

 llesh. 



, Like all other mammalia, they respire with 

 lungs, are warm-blooded, and possess a double 

 circulation, &.c. 



Habit. The largest animals known ; entirely 

 aquatic ; for the most part carnivorous ; swimming 

 by the aid of their tail, which moves upward and 

 downward, and not from right to left as that of 



