Z8 BULLETIN 3r,, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



I did not see the specimen when in London, and if my memorj^ serves 

 mo, was iuformed that it coukl not be found, p]ven if it still exists, 

 however, I think the same ruling should be applied in this case as in 

 that of Tnrsiops cymodicc, regarding which Professor Flower says: 



T. ci/modice may bo at oiico expunged from the list. It i.s fouiuled upon ,i single 

 skull of a very young animal ; the basilar suture is not closed, and all its distinguish- 

 ing characters arc those of immaturity. It is impossible to say even of which variety 

 it is the young. {Characfers and Divisions, p. 480.) 



Such, too, is the case with this Stoiofuscus, and it should be dropped 

 forever from the catalogue of species. 



Since the foregoing paragraphs were written, Dr. Liitken has pub- 

 lished an important account of the genera Sfeno, DcJphinus and Prodel- 

 2)hmus, based on the material in the Copenhagen Museum.* 



He gives in plate 1 a colored figure of S. rostratus, constructed from 

 data furnished by Captain Andrea. This figure does not agree closely 

 with those of Cuvier, Van Breda or Peters, but is unquestionably much 

 more accurate than those of the first two authors mentioned. That it 

 represents the species called Delj^hiniis rostratus by Cuvier and Desma- 

 rest is highly probable, and I have, therefore, substituted it for Cuvier's 

 figure as an illustration in the Sj^nopsis. 



There are no grounds for considering Peters' tigure of S.pcrsjyicillatus 

 less accurate than the newly-published figure of 8. rostratus. There is, 

 however, a decided want of agreement between the two fii^ures and the 

 descriptions in regard to the coloration of the species. Until, therefore, 

 it can be proven that 8. perspicillatus is the young of 8. rostratus, or 

 that the coloration of the latter is exceedingly variable, it seems to luc 

 that the Peters' species must be considered distinct. The two species 

 are quite similar in osteological characters. Their vertebral formulae 

 are as follows : 



8. rostratus, C. 7 ; D. 13 ; L. 15 ; Ca. 30 = G5. 



8. perspicillatus, C. 7; D. 12; L. 15; Ca. 32 = GG. 



The specimen of 8. rostratus captured by Captain Andrea and de- 

 scribed by Dr. Liitken, was taken in 1° 14' S. hit., 17° 20' W. long,, or 

 about midway between Ascension Island and the coast of Africa. 



The following measurements of the exterior were taken : 



Cciithncters. 



Total length 257. 4 



Height immediately in front of the dorsal fin 67. G 



From the snout to the dorsal fin Ill . H 



From the snout to the eye 41. G 



From the same to the blow-hole 36. 4 



From the same to the pectoral fin 65. 



The skeleton was about 240'^"' long; the head alone 53'''". The first 

 two cervical vertebra', were anchylosed together, but the neural arch 



*Chr. Fc. Liitken, K. Dauske Videush:. Selsk. Skr., Gto Eaekke, naturvidcn. og 

 math. Afd., V, 1889, pt. 1, pp. 1-61, 1 pi. and 2 charts. 



