208 



THE WHALEBONE WHALES OP THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



formiug complete bouy rings, a condition not found in the Norwegian Vaagehval. 

 Van Beneden (8, 161) brought together some facts tending to show that this was 

 not a matter of importance from a systematic point of view. His observations on 

 the condition of the lateral processes of the cervicals in various specimens, with 

 those quoted from Eschricht, Flower, and Grray, are as follows : 



BAL^NOPTBRA ACUTO-ROSTRATA LA.C. GREENLAND AND EUEOPE. CERVICAL VERTEBRA. 



X = Complete ring formed by union of lateral processes. 

 L. =: Left side. 

 R. = Right side. 



Perhaps the most important of these specimens is the one in the British 

 Museum. The skull of this, according to Gray, was 46.6 in. long, hence the whole 

 animal was probably not far from 18 feet, the length of Eschricht's specimens. 

 Yet only the axis had complete osseous rings. The same was the case with the 

 Greenland specimen in the Louvain Museum, but the size of this is not given by 

 Van Beneden. 



As Eschricht did not figure the coronoid process of his Greenland specimens, 

 it is impossible to estimate the importance of the character drawn from its shape 

 and size. Fortunately, Gray's figure of the skull of the Greenland form, in his 

 Zoology of the Voyage of the Erebus and lerroi\ shows this part.' I am unable 

 to see that it presents any characters of importance. It is about as high as in 

 Norwegian specimens. 



The same is true as regards the lateral distortion of the maxillae. This does 

 not appear to be more or less in the Greenland skull than in Norwegian skulls. 



The characters mentioned by Eschricht, taken as a whole, do not therefore 

 appear of special importance. If the small Greenland Finback is to be distinguished 

 it must be by means of other peculiarities. Eschricht himself mentions one several 

 times, but does not appear to regard it as of any importance as a diagnostic charac- 



' PI. 2, p. SO- 



