1. CATODON. 209 



Pelvis composed of three pieces, a middle and two slender ones, 

 which are articulated one on each side of the former (Wall, 1. 1. f. 4), 

 the middle bone being composed of two arched pieces. 



It is clear from Wall's description of the skeleton of the Sperm 

 Whale which lives on the coast of New Holland that it is quite 

 distinct from the Northern one described by Beale and Cuvier. 



Mr. Wall says " there were no vestiges of any alveoles in the skull 

 of a very young Sperm discovered on the beach near Botany (Bay) ; " 

 he suspects " that Mr. Bennett must have mistaken some kind of 

 Dolphin for a young Cachalot." Very unlikely, when we consider 

 that Dr. Bennett was a surgeon on board a whaler. 



John Hunter states that there is only a single tube or canal from 

 the commencement for both nostrils. In some Dolphins there is 

 said to be a dividing membrane. 



Species ivanting further examination. 



The Pacific Sperm Whale. 



Sperm Whale, Cohiet, Voyage, 80. f. 9 ; Beale, N. H. Sperm Whale, 



22. f. 1-14. 

 Physeter macrocephalus, Bramlt ^ Ratzeburg, Med. Zool. t. 14. f. 3, 



from Col net. 

 Spermaceti Whale, Nunn, Narrat. Favourite, 40, 58 (fig. not good), 



175 ; Fauna Japoitica ? 

 Catodon Colneti, Gray, Cat. Cetac. B. 31. 1850, 52. 



Inhab. North Pacific. Japan. South Seas {Nunn). " Equatorial 

 oceans " (Lesson). 



The South African Sperm Whale. 



Catodon macrocephalus, A. Smith, African Zool. 127. 



Inhab. Mozambique Channel and South-east coast of Africa (A. 

 Smith). 



The Indian Sperm Whale. 

 Catodon macrocephalus, Blyth, Cat. Mus. A. S. 93. 



Inhab. Ocean ; occasionally hunted at the entrance of the Bay of 

 Bengal, within sight of Ceylon. 



Whales visit the Straits of Namoa regularly eveiy May. They 

 are mostly cows, and are usually accompanied by their calves, some 

 20 or 30 feet long. Some of the adults attain the length of 70 feet. 

 At night they make a loud puihng noise resembling the sound pro- 

 duced by the piston of a steam-engine. At daytime they are seen 

 putting their long heads ovit of the water and opening their immense 

 jaws. 



Lacepede describes a whale, figured in some CTiinese drawings, 

 under the name of Phi/seter sulcafxs, in Mem. Mus. iv. 474. 



