f NEOMEKIS PHOC^NOIDES. 115 



Tlie transverse i^rocesses of the former are much less developed tliaui 

 iu Phoccvna. The inferior transverse processes of all the cervical verte- 

 brn3 are rudimentary. In the seventh cervical the superior trans- 

 verse process ends in a facet to which is attached a short rudimentary 

 cervical rib. The superior transverse process of the sixth cervical is 

 short and tubercular. The first seven ribs have heads which touch the 

 centra of the vertebni?. The neural spines, which are broad and low 

 ill the dorsal region, are obsolete in the neck. The sternum is very 

 short and broad, and has four pairs of ribs articulated with it. The 

 transverse processes become obsolete at the forty-third vertebra and 

 the neural at the forty-seventh vertebra. Seventeen chevron bones are 

 present. The skeleton is described by Temmiuck at some length, and 

 1 am therefore spared the necessity of giving a complete account of it. 



In 1884 Mr. F. A. Murray described an animal of this genus from the 

 Siud coast, which he made the type of a new species, iV. JcurracM- 

 ends. Such of his measurements of the skull as may be compared 

 witli those which I have recorded indicate a correspondence in pro- 

 portions between his specimens and the type of N. phoccvnoides, and I 

 find nothing in the description to show that his specimen was specific- 

 ally distinct from the latter species. The small rudimentary teeth at 

 tlie extremity of the alveolus are indicated in Temminck's figure. The 

 dorsal area of spiny tubercles is also indicated iu Temminck's figure 

 of the exterior. The purplish-red patch on the throat is not mentioned 

 by Temmiuck, but even if the two specimens differ in this respect, 

 I hey could scarcely, on that account alone, be regarded as specifically 

 distinct. I believe that we may regard Mr. Murray's description as 

 applying to N'. phocccnoides. 



Mr. Murray's measurements are as follows: 



ExtKRIOR: Inches. 



Lenjjth along curves from tip of snout to uotch between caudal flukes 52 



Leugtli straight 45 



Tip of snout to pectoral tin 1.0 



Caudal il ukes 9 x:5. 



Distance of blowhole from tip of snout along curve 6. 5 



Distance from angle of mouth to eye 1. (52 



Vent from root of caudal lin 14. Q 



Skull: 



Length of skull over curves to upper edge of foramcu magnum 10. 



Length straight from below 8. 



Height of skull (vertex of superoccipital) 4, 25 



Tip of snout to blowhole 4. 25 



Tip of snout to interparietal (J. 25 



Interparietal to upper edge of foramen magnum 3.75 



Across maxillaries 4.75 



Across blowhole 1.5 



Length of malar 2. 



Length of brain cavity 4. 



Across paroccipitals 3. 37 



Greatest space betweea occipital condyles (upper) 1.5 



