102 BULLICTIN 31), UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



about for some time between the genera Phoetvna and Dclphinus, must, 

 if my determination is correct, be placed in the genus Lagenorhynehus. 

 The type-mandible from Hawaii agrees perfectly with that of the speci- 

 men of i. electra in the Paris Museum, which is, fortunately, from the 

 same locality. It agrees also with the type (Brit. Mus., Xo. 358a) of 

 that species. It may seem unwise to attempt to determine a species of 

 Lagenorhynehus from the jaw alone, and in most cases I believe that it 

 would be so. But the mandible of L. electra is so peculiar in its stout 

 form and rounded coronoid region that it is at once distinguishable. 



A difficulty now arises, however, because there is a decided lack of 

 agreement between Peale's figures of P. pectoralis and Owen's figures 

 of L. fusiformis, which, if my conclusions are correct, represent the 

 same species. It should be remembered, however, that Owen described 

 the external appearance of his si)ecies from drawings of an Indian 

 artist,* while Peale had the specimen which he figured before him in 

 the flesh. The animal figured by Professor Owen is represented as hav- 

 ing a distinct, elongated beak, a character which arouses my suspicion 

 of the accuracy of the drawing, for the reason that it is at variance 

 with the shape of the head of all other species of Lagenorhynehus of 

 which the external appearance is known. 



The external measurements agree fairly together, but count for little, 

 since those of L. fusiformis were apparently taken from the drawing.f 



The descriptions of color agree but little, though the discrepancy 

 may jierhaps be due to the fact that the Indian specimen may not have 

 been entirely fresh. The descriptions are as follows : 



Fliocwna pectoralis. 



Color, blue-black; a white spot ou 

 each side of the breast in front of the pec- 

 toral fins; a frontal band of light slate- 

 color extends a short distance behind the 

 eyes; vent and abdomen light reddish- 

 white; lips margined with reddish white. 

 (Peale, U. S. Explor. Exped. Mamm. 

 & Ormith., 1848, p. 32.) 



Lagenorhijiiclius fusiform is. 



The color of the spindle-.shaped Dol- 

 phin is less darkly pluinbeons than in the 

 Gadanin, and becomes more gradually 

 lighter towards the belly; the dorsal fin, 

 the fore part of the pectoral and caudal 

 fins, and the snout have the darkest pig- 

 ment ; the light ashy-gray belly shows 

 no spots. (Owen, T. Z. S. vi, p. 23.) 



We have, therefore, two specimens whose bones (so far as we know 

 them) are alike, but whose external appearance is re[)resented as widely 

 different. As there are, so far as I am aware, no oasts or mounted skins 

 of L. electra in any museum we must i)end judgment until more ma. 

 terial has been collected. I believe, however, that the figure of P. pec- 

 toralis will be found to be essentially correct. 



The reference to L. electra in the "Osteographie des Cetaces" (p. 597) 

 is ver}' much confused. Three distinct specimens are referred to as 

 figured iu pi. xxxvi (fig. G). The figure seems to be taken from No. 



* Trans. Zool. Soc, London, vi, 18B9, p. 17, pi. v, iig. 1. 



tin the legend accoinpauyiug the plates of Profes.sor Owen's Memoir (1. c, p. H'), 

 the figure of L. fusiformis is said to be "diminished to scale." This scale is not that 

 given ou pi. v, but is apparently 7^ in. ^(5 feet. 



