100 BAL,ENIDiE. 



and very much stouter, especially at the extremity. The orbital 

 processes of the maxillary are also stouter. One of the most marked 

 differences from B. Mi/sticetus, and one which I have not before 

 seen noticed, is the great breadth and comparative shortness of the 

 nasal bones, and consequent great width of the posterior margin 

 of the nasal aperture. The part of the upper surface of the two 

 nasal bones uncovered by the frontal is 13|" broad and 11" long; 

 in a skull of B. Mysticetus, 17' in length, they are but 7" broad and 

 11" long. The malar, lacrymal, and tympanic bones are absent 

 from this skidl. 



" The skeleton is that of a young animal ; the epiphyses of all the 

 vertebraj and of both ends of the humeras, radius, and ulna are not 

 united. It wants the lacrymals, malars, sternum, hyoid and pelvic 

 bones. The entire length is 31' 4", of which the head occupies 7'. 

 The total number of the vertebrae is 56 ; and one, or perhaps two, 

 may be wanting from the end of the tail. The first five of the 

 cervical vertebrae are united together ; the bodies of the other two 

 are greatly compressed and close together, but not anchylosed There 

 are fifteen pairs of ribs. The first, as described by Schlegel, is of very 

 singular shape, being dix-ided at the upper end for a distance of 6" 

 into two broad flat heads, anterior and posterior, and widening ex- 

 ceedingly at the lower end, in the middle of the border of which is 

 a deep notch. It is 34" in length, measured in a straight line, 4" in 

 breadth at the middle, and \2^" at the lower end. The two divisions 

 of the upper end are attached to the transverse processes of the first 

 and second dorsal vertebrae, which disposition induced Schlegel to 

 assign 16 dorsal vertebrae to this specimen ; but this is probably an 

 error of the articiJator, as in the Fin-Whales with double heads to 

 the fu'st rib, these are connected with the seventh cervical and first 

 dorsal vertebras ; and in B. Mi/sticetus the head of the first rib is 

 placed altogether in front of the transverse process of the first dorsal 

 vertebra, being intimately connected with the seventh cervical. 



" The second rib is very thick and broad at the lower end. The 

 last rib is much shorter and more slender than the others. There 

 are nine chevron bones present. The scapula is 26" broad and 24" 

 high, with very short acromial and coracoid processes. The humerus 

 15" long. The radius 16|" long and 10" broad at its distal end. 

 The iilna 8" broad at the same part. The thumb is absent; the 

 digits differ but slightly from each other in length. The second, 

 third, and fifth have, besides the metacarpal bones, each four pha- 

 langes ; the fourth has five ; but, as they are artificially articulated, 

 these numbers are not entirely to be depended on." — Floiver, P. Z. S. 

 1864, 396, 397. 



The baleen sold in the market as " North-west Coast whalebone," 

 which I figured in the ' Zoology of the Erebus and Terror,' 1. 1. f. 4, 

 is quite distinct, and fetches a different price from that called 

 " South-Sea whalebone," which is said sometimes to be brought from 

 the Cape — showing that the Whalebone Whale of the North Pacific 

 is a distinct species. 



