206 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.57. 



Of the North American specimens, one (No. 23282, U.S.N.M.), a 

 weathered skull and imperfect skeleton, was obtained by the U. S. 

 Fish Commission steamer Albatross at Pichilinque Bay, the United 

 States coaling station near La Paz, Lower California, on April 29, 

 1888. The others, No. 218360, U.S.N.M., a skull and nearly com- 

 plete skeleton (lacking a few vertebrae, a few ribs, and the fore 

 limbs), and No. 218361, U.S.N.M., 13 detached teeth, were recently 

 procured near Princeton, Florida, by La\vrence S. Chubb. In 

 response to my inquiries, Mr. Chubb wrote, September 25, 1918: 

 "Replying to your letter of September 17, will say that I really can 

 give you no information regarding the history of the killer whale. 

 I usually have several hounds and frequently go on hunting trips 

 over the glades or prairies and sometimes as far as the bay. It was 

 on one of these trips that I found the first lot of teeth. A few months 

 later I was again at the bay and found the head and skeleton which 

 I sent you. The skeleton was found about 20 miles below Miami on 

 the shore of Biscayne Bay. At this point the bay is very shallow, 

 so a man can walk out into the water a quarter of a mile, and the 

 bottom is of a lime and coral rock formation. The tide always 

 overflows the mangrove swamps that border on the bay. Farther 

 back beyond the mangrove swamp is the big glade or prairie of marl 

 formation that overflows part of the year. But to return to the 

 killer skeleton. I found three different lots of these teeth, aU within 

 a half mile of each other, and a mile south of the skeleton. In 

 getting the skeleton for the museum I searched thoroughly and feel 

 sure that I procured all of both large and small bones [such small parts 

 as the detached nasals were among those found], but nothing resem- 

 bling flippers were in evidence. I can not account for their absence.'^ 



It seems probable that at least four individuals of Pseudorca were 

 stranded on the shore of Biscayne Bay. The teeth sent by Mr. Chubby 

 however, do not certainly indicate more than two in addition to the 

 animal whose skeleton was found. The 27 teeth belonging in the 

 skuU are slightly worn, each with a flat area, usually 3-5 mm. in 

 diameter, at the apex of the crown. Of the 13 separate teeth, three 

 differ from all the others in the broader, more abruptly truncate 

 form of the base. They appear to be almost unworn at the tip, but 

 the enamel is somewhat imperfect. The other separate teeth repre- 

 sent a much more advanced condition of wear. In all but two, more 

 than half of the crown is gone, and in four the enamel covered portion 

 of the tooth has been eliminated. It is possible that six of these 

 ten teeth represent one individual and four represent another, but 

 I do not feel convinced that such is the case. 



