116 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 46 



Catodon Linnaeus, 1761, Fauna Suecia, ed. 2, p. 18 [type species: Physeter 

 macrocephalus Linnaeus {=Physeter catodon Linnaeus), by virtual 

 tautonomy]. 



Phiseter Bonnaterre, 1789, Tabl. Encycl. Math., Cetologie, p. 12 [emenda- 

 tion of Physeter Linnaeus]. 



Physalus Lacepede, 1804, Hist. Nat. Cetaces, pp. xi, 219 [type species: 

 Physalus cylindricus Bonnaterre, by monotypy]. 



Physeterus Dumeril, 1806, Zool. Analytique, p. 28 [type: "les physeteres"]. 



Tursio Fleming, 1822, Philosophy of zoology, 2: 211 [included species: 

 T. vulgaris (type, by virtual tautonomy =Physeter tursio Linnaeus), 

 microps (=Physeter microps Linnaeus); the included species are the 

 mythical "high-finned cachalots" regarded as synonyms of Physeter 

 catodon Linnaeus (cf. Thomas, 1911, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 2: 157)]. 



Megistosaurus Anonymous, in Harlan, 1828, American Journ. Sci. Arts, 

 14: 186 [type species: "large bones disenterred at the mouth of the 

 Mississippi River, and exhibited in the city of Baltimore, January 22 

 [1828] . . . and it has been proposed to construct upon them a new 

 fossil genus to be designated ' Megistosaurus' " ; bones identified as those 

 of Physeter macrocephalus (= Physeter catodon Linnaeus)]. 



Cetus Billberg, 1828, Synopsis faunas Scandinavian, p. 39 [type species: 

 C. cylindricus Lacepede (= Physeter catodon) by monotypy], 



Meganeuron Gray, 1865, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1865: 439 [subgenus 

 of Catodon; type species: Catodon {Meganeuron) Kreffti Gray (—Physeter 

 catodon Linnaeus)]; 1866, Cat. seals and whales Brit. Mus., p. 387 

 [genus; characters]. 



Type species: Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus (=P. catodon Linnaeus), 

 by subsequent selection (Palmer, 1904, North American Fauna, 23: 536), 

 but for treating macrocephalus as a junior synonym of catodon, see Remarks 

 below (p. 121). 



Distribution : All seas from Arctic to Antarctic Oceans. 



Physeter catodon Linnaeus 



[Physeter] Catodon Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1: 76. — Thomas, 

 1911, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1911: 157 [type history]. 



Physeter catodon, Harmer, 1928, Proc. Linnaean Soc. London, 140: 62, 

 88 [Atlantic; Pacific: Ecuador, Chile; Antarctic; history of whaling]. — 

 Carcelles, 1932, Physis, 11: 61, 79, fig. 5 (processing of cadaver) [S. 

 Atlantic: Falklands; South Georgia; South Orkneys]. — Raven and 

 Gregory, 1933, American Mus. Novit., 677: 1, fig. 1 (animal), fig. 3 

 (skull), fig. 4 (head in cross section), fig. 5 (nasal region dissection), 

 fig. 6 (head section), fig. 7 (rostrum in longitudinal section) [nasal 

 passages, spermaceti organ]. — Townsend, 1935, Zoologica, 19: 7, pi. 

 2 (distribution map based on log book records from 1761-1920) 

 [seasonal distribution in all seas; recorded from all latitudes of South 



