326 SMITHSONIAN MISCEI.LANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. $2 



ginning about opposite the tip of the pectorals when laid back against 

 the body, and was about one foot long and of a grayish color. Be- 

 ginning opposite the anterior end of the dorsal fin, the body, seen 

 from above, assumed a form resembling a pillar consisting of three 

 attached columns, laid horizontally. It was made up of a median 

 dorsal rounded ridge, with a similar rounded mass below it on either 

 side. This form, which was quite unlike that represented in any pub- 

 lished figure of the animal, was probably due to extreme emaciation. 

 The body tapered rapidly toward the flukes, the pedicel of which was 

 very slender. The pectoral rested in a furrow which ran backward 

 along the side of the body, and was probably due to emaciation. 



From the same point of view, the upper lip appeared as a thick 

 rounded ridge, above which was the protuberance of the "forehead," 

 marked off by a concavity in front. The blowhole was nearly 

 linear when closed, but oblong or elliptical when open. 



This whale remained nearly motionless in a corner of the tank, 

 with its head under water and its flukes held almost vertically down- 

 ward, but raised its head from time to time to spout. The expira- 

 tion took place as soon as the head came to the surface, and was 

 very feeble and quick, and usually noiseless, but occasionally ac- 

 companied by a sound similar to that which a person makes in 

 blowing dust ofif of an object, though rather more metallic. At the 

 same time, drops of water ascended in a curve and fell forward 

 some three or four feet beyond the head of the whale. Then the 

 blowhole opened wider, the lower internal folds were seen to move, 

 and inspiration took place with a rather faint sound. The flukes, 

 as already mentioned, were held downward, and were waved about 

 gently, the axis of motion being at the anterior base of the flukes. 

 The pectorals were held horizontally and were nearly motionless. 



The smaller female (specimen B) was of a light purplish color, 

 with whitish "forehead," upper lip and blowhole. The posterior 

 edges of both pectorals and flukes were dark purple, but with a white 

 marginal line. On the top of the head a dark purplish band about 

 8 inches wide extended backward from the blowhole. Between this 

 and the pectoral was a large oval area lighter in color than the sur- 

 rounding parts, which area extended across the upper surface of 

 the pectorals. 



The external orifice of the ear was situated in a depression. The 

 -dorsal fin, or ridge, appeared smooth, except for a few cross-fur- 

 rows at intervals of less than an inch apart. There appeared to be 

 5;^landular openings in the longitudinal furrow below the dorsal ridge. 

 The surface of the back along the median line began to assume a 



