38 



BULLETIN :!(;, UNITED STATKS NATIONAL MU8EUM. 



some of tbein "may be specifically distinct."* With this skull, the type 

 of T. metis, aud the skulls called T. tnincaius iu the British Museum 

 before mo, I wrote iu my uote book, " It is doubtful if any distinction 

 is to be made between these." 



For my own part I have no hesitancy iu making T. eurynomc a syn- 

 onym of T. tursio. The species is founded on a single skull, and its 

 characters are drawn from proportions. It has been shown that neither 

 iu absolute size nor in proportions does it lie outside the limits of vari- 

 ation of T. tursio. It should be borne in mind that iu cases of this 

 kind we can never hope to acquire specimens agreeing exactly with the 

 type. A.mong a thousand skulls of the same species it is doubtful if 

 any two absolutely alike could be found. 



Tursio metis Gray. 



The second of Gray's species to be considered is his Tursio metis. 

 Gray states that the skull " differs from Beli)hinus Tursio^s in the nose 

 being much shorter and more conical and acute."! As a matter of 

 ftict, the beak is relatively longer than the skull of T. tursio from 

 Montagu's collection iu the British Museum (353a), which Gray includes 

 in the latter species iu the Catalogue. That the beak is more acute than 

 iu many specimens of T. tursio is true; but it is less acute than iu No. 

 22080 of that species from Ilatteras, which was picked up on the beach 

 with others by myself. Comparing it with the latter, I find that the 

 beak is a trifle shorter, but somewhat wider both at the base and at 

 the middle, aud that the intermaxillit' are also wider. I cannot but 

 regard it as a narrow-beaked specimen of T. tursio. 



Tursio cymodice Gray. 



Tursio cymodice is fouuded on a youngish skull. It has an almost 

 exact counteriiart in No. 207G7, from Point Lookout, Maryland. 



Measurements. 



Total length 



Lenjith of beak 



IJreadtli of beak at maxillary noti'bos 

 Breadth of beak at middle 



355a. Tur- 



siops 



cj'modice. 



Type. 



Cm. 



45.7 

 24.9 

 11.6 

 C.8 



20767. Tur- 



sions tursio. 



Toint 



Lookout, 



Marj-land. 



Cm. 



45.2 



24.8 



11.4 



6.0 



Professor Flower very justly says : 



T. cymodice may bo at oucc expuuged from tbo list. 

 of a very young animal. t 



It is founded on a single skull 



'Flower, P. Z. S., 18S3, p. 487. 

 t Cat. Seals and Whales, p. 257. 

 tProc. Zool. Soc. London, 1883, p. 480. 



