THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



233 



SKULL. 



Measurements of European skulls, wbicb can be compared with one another, 

 have been recorded in the case of the type of M. longimana (by Rudolphi) and the 

 Tay River whale (by Struthers). 



Measurements of the skull of the Greenland Humpback can be obtained from 

 Eschricht's figure (39). Of American specimens, I have measured the skulls of the 

 t3'pes of M. osphyui and M. helUcosa, and of two other specimens from Cape Cod, 

 Mass. These various measurements are brouo-ht toijether in the foUowinsr table : 



MEOAPTERA NODOSA (BONNATEERE). EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN. SKri.r,. 



Greatest breadth (squamosal) 



Breadth of orbital process of frontal at distal end 



(supra-orbital border) 



Length of rostrum (straight) 



Breadth of rostrum at middle (curved) 



Length of nasals 



Breadth of 2 nasals at distal end 



Length of mandible (straight) 



(curved) 



Depth of mandible at middle 



:£. °'o 



MO.3 

 >H5. 



43 



40' 



144 



90 

 66.7 = 

 17.2'' 



95-8 = 



1^" 



u if 



> u 



40' o" 



39' ^r' 



125" 



i 



57-0 



9.6 

 67.6 

 22.0 



7.6 



8.2 



96.6 



104.6 



8.0 



Sf 



O o 



" ?! 



a D. 



o >, 



35 5 



135 



58.1 



10.4 

 66.0 

 23-3 



95-5 

 106.7 



8-5 





114 5 



58.8 



10.7 



66.4 



22.9 



7-8 



S CO 



Zi' io'+ 



113 



60. 1 



68 



22 



7 



7 



99 



108 



8 





?jr. 



27 o 



91 



58.2 



8.2 

 68.1 

 23.0 



7' 



96.6 



107.7 



s s 



It will be seen that there is no raai-ked difference in the proportions of the 

 American and European specimens (including the type of AL loiigimana) except iu 

 a few instances. The breadth of the rostnim in the type of M. longimana, meas- 

 ured on Rudolphi's figure, and therefore liat or straight, is considerably less than 

 in the American sjiecimens. That this is probably an error in the figure, rather 

 than a real difference, appears from the fact that in the skull of the Tay River 

 whale the rostrum is as broad as in the American specimens. 



The Greenland Humpback, from Eschricht's figure, would seem to have shorter 

 and very much narrower nasal bones than the other specimens (pis. 29 and 32, figs. 

 1 and 2). It is possible, of course, that this may be a character of the Greenland 



Rheinland feet. 

 From figure. 

 Straight. 



* Breadth across distal end of outer margins. 

 "Straight, as mounted; is too much curved 

 and lacks 4 or 5 caudal vertebra;. 



