114 BULLETIN 3G, UNITED .STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



11. NEOMERIS Gray. 



Neomeris, Gray, Zool. Erebus & Terror, 1846, p. 30. 



This genus appears to liave but one character to distinguisb it from 

 Flioc(vna, namely, the absence of a dorsal tin. I was unable to discover 

 any peculiarities in the skull or the remainder of the skeleton wbicli 

 could be regarded as sufficient to warrant a separation from the latter 

 genus. Is the absence of a dorsal fin a sufficient generic character ? 

 I believ^e that it is, or at least must be so regarded until we know more 

 of the anatomy of Neorneris. The case is somewhat difterent from that 

 of Leucorhamjihus, because in that genus we find the absence of a dor- 

 sal tin correlated with certain characters in the skeleton. In Xeomeris 

 no similar correlation has been pointed out. On the other hand, the 

 dorsal fins of the three species of Fhoccvna show no signs of degenera- 

 tion and furnish us no steps by which to descend to Nromeris. It may 

 be, however, that when the anatomy of JS^comeris is known many new 

 distinctions will be discovered. In the present state of knowledge I 

 would adopt Professor Flower's conservative course, and leave the 

 genus to be sustained or set aside by later investigations. 



Only a single species is recognized in the following pages, viz, N. 

 phocccnoides (Cuvier). 



NEOMERIS PHOC^NOIDES (Cuvier). 



Delphiniis plioccDwkJes, Cuvier, Kegue Auim., 2d ecL, i, 1829, p. 291. 

 Delpliinus meJas, Teniniiuck, Fauua Japon., Mamniif. luariu., 1850, p. 14, pis. 25-26. 

 Delphiuaplerus moJagan, Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vi, 1H69, p. 24. 

 Neomeria phoavnoidefi, Gray, Zool. Erebus & Terror, 1846, p. 30, Malm. Sven. Akad. 



Haudl., n. f., ix, i, 1870, p. 77. 

 Neomeris l-Krrachiemis, Murray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 5tU series, Xlli, 1884,]). 



351. 



Tlie three specimens of this animal which fell under my notice are as 

 follows: 



MUSKUM d'IIIST. NAT., PaKIS. 



No. A. 3087. Skull. Coast of Malabar. Dussumier. Type of JJ. phocanoUUti 



Cuvier. 

 No. A. 3086. Skull. Cape of Good Hope. 

 Ley DEN Museum. 



Skeleton. Japan. Briiger. Type of B. melas Teniminck. 



These three skulls agree well together, but in Temminck's specimen 

 the beak is somewhat the longest, while the breadth of the braiucase 

 is leasL In this skull the thickened portion of the intermaxilhe in front 

 of the nostrils rises very high. Distally the intermaxilhe are flat. The 

 foranion magnum is large, lozenge-shaped, and a little higher than 

 broad. The condyles are widely separated. 



The total length of this skeleton is 128"". I counted the following 

 vertebrte: C. 7, D. 13, L. & Ca., 43 = 03. Tbe atlas and axis are united. 



