THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



181 



Length of pectoral along anterior border 8 ft. 



to termination of white 



under-surface 8 " 



Greatest breadth of pectoral 2 " 



Breadth of flukes i ^ " 



Distance from flukes to anus 20 " 



Center of anus to center of navel 10 " 



Breadth of caudal peduncle at insertion of flukes i " 



Tip of mandible to corner of mouth (along the curves) 16 " 



Corner of mouth to auricular orifice 3 " 



Distance across the head 13 " 



Length of auricular orifice o " 



" " the dorsal fin (Ives) i " 



Height of the same (Ives) o " 



8 in. 



3 " 



2 " 



10 " 

 o 



o " 



8 '• 



10 



6 " 



6 " 

 2I " 



o " 



5 " 



It is an unfortunate fact that no complete reliable account of the osteology of 

 jB. musculus has been published, unless it be that of Malm. His Alonognqjhie 

 llludree is not accessible to me. Equally to be regretted is the fact that the meas- 

 urements given by Flower {Ao), Reiuhardt (TJ), and Malm {66) are not in accord. 

 On that account a thorough comparison of the proportions of the skeleton cannot 

 be made. 



The osteological characters of B. muscidus are summarized by Van Beneden 

 (7, 260) as follows : 



" This species is distinguished from other Bala3no|)teras by the beak, which is 

 very broad, e.specially at the middle of its length ; by the nasal bones, truncated in 

 front; and by the palatines, very broad. The upper jaw is exceeded by the 

 lower, and the coronoid process is high and pointed ; the vertebrse number 63 or 

 64; the ribs are 15 or 16 pairs in number; the sternum is broad and short; the 

 metacarpals and phalanges are comparatively long." 



NUMBER OF VERTEBR.E. 



The vertebral formula given by various European authors for B. musculua 

 are as follows : 



BALMXOPTERA MUSCULUS (L.). EUROPEAN. VERTEBRAL FORMULA. 



' .-Vccording to Lahille, the formula for both is generally given as 7 + 16 -f 15 + 26 = 64 ; but 

 Gervais says it should be 7 + 16 + 13 + 28 = 64. , , , • 



'"The two skeletons [Hull and Utrecht] agree in possessmg si.xty-four vertebrie, both being 

 in this respect, fortunately complete " (Flower). ' Lumbars 15 or 16 (I- lower, ^5, 410). 



' Jardine, Nat. Library, Cetacea, has a figure of this skeleton on plate 6. I he lumbars appear 

 to be 16. 



