120 



15ULLETIN 36, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



\ proportious of this specimen and the type of P. Hneata, tbc measure- 

 ments iu both cases beiujj from the casts: 



Measurements. 



Total length 



Exlremity of snout to eye 



Extremity of snout to blowhole 



Extremity of snout to corner of mouth 



Extremity of snout to anterior base of ])ector.al 

 Extremity of snout to anterior base of dorsal. . 



Vertical height of dorsal 



Len^tli of pectoral 



Greatest ■\vi<lt h of pectoral 



Width between points of flukes 



Consideriug the variation in i)roportions occurring in this genus, T 

 think it will be admittetl that the proportious in tliese two iudividunls 

 are remarkably similar, aud that No. 13339 must be identilied as I\ 

 Uneafa, ii such a species exists. But the skeleton of this indivii.uul 

 (osteological oSTo. IGGIO) is at command aud it exhibits no characters by 

 which it may be distinguished from askeleton of P. communis from Eii: o- 

 pean waters. It is therefore strongly probable that the missing skelehin 

 of the type of P. lincata was likewise identical with that of P. commiotis. 



The measurements of P. vomerina given by Scammon are taken Intin 

 two individuals, one 4 feet 8 inches long, the other but 4 feet.* iu a 

 skeleton from California, which is 4 feet long, the suture between the 

 atlas and axis is plainly visible, the epiphj'ses of the centra are free, 

 and the elements of the occipital are distinct. It is proper, therefore, 

 to hold that Scammon's specimens were both young, and to compare 

 them only with young specimens from the Atlantic. When we come 

 to examine Scammon's measurements, however, we lind tlie differences 

 in the proportions of the two individuals so great that we can not hope 

 for any satisfaction in comparing them with Atlantic siJccimens, It 

 is true that Scammon's two specimens belonged to oi)positB sexes, but 

 the differences are too great to be ascribed to difference of sex. For 

 example, in the female, which was 48 inches long, the width of the 

 pectoral fins w\as as great, the height of the dorsal greater, and its 

 length along the back as great as in the male, which was 5G inclics 

 long. In the small female, also, the distance from the extremity of the 

 snout to the eye was as great as, and to the blowhole greater than, in the 

 larger male. In comparing these specimens with others from the At- 

 lantic, therefore, we shall be at a loss to determine whether the differ- 

 ences observable are to be regarded as indicating specific distinctness 

 or as being due to individual variation. As the Atlantic Phocrenns 



Marine Mammalia, p. 9G. 



