252 THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTEBN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



agreeing better with Gasco's figures. Another important diffei'ence in Graells's 

 fio^ures, as compared with those of Gasco, is that the anterior ends of the pre- 

 maxillfe are represented as nai'row and acaminate. Graells's figures are reproduc- 

 tions of di'awings by Sr. Jauer, while in Gasco's figures the outlines are taken 

 from photographs, " to avoid inexactness." This latter may, therefore, be con- 

 sidered the more reliable. 



Gasco's figures (47, pi. 2, figs. 1 and 2; pi. 3, fig. 1) of the Taranto (Italy) 

 whale show a very close agreement witli the skull of the specimen from Long 

 Island (New York) in the National Museum, No. 23077, pis. 42 and 43. The figures 

 of the under surface of the skull especially (allowance being made for the slightly 

 different point of view) show a veiy complete agreement. No one on comparing 

 these several figures can, I think, fail to be convinced that they represent one and 

 the same s[)ecies. This is a matter of great importance, because, as will be jiointed 

 out presently, the measurements of the American and the European skulls vary 

 considerably among themselves. The causes of this variation will be considered later. 

 I personally compared the skull of the Long Island (N. Y.) specimen in 

 the American Museum of Natural History, New York, with photographs of the 

 Lonsx Island skull iu the National Museum, No. 23077, and was unable to discover 

 any differences of importance. In Holder's figure of the former (61^ pi. 12) the 

 superior outline of the rostrum does not descend rapidly enough anteriorly, due 

 perhaps to the intermaxillse not being represented as thick at the middle as they 

 really are. In most other respects the figure is a good representation of the skull. 

 In one character Gasco's figure of the Taranto (Italy) skull differs from the 

 American skulls I have examined. The premaxilk* extend so far back as to pre- 

 vent the union of the maxillae with the median anterior prolongati()n of the frontal 

 at the vertex. In the American skulls in the Washington, Philadel[)hia, and 

 Raleigh museums the premaxill;« are shorter posteriorly and the maxilhe pi'oject 

 inward toward the median line along the sides of the nasal process of the fi'ontal. 

 This may, I think, be regarded rather as an individual variation than as a charactei- 

 of specific importance. In Graells's figure (52, pi. 4, fig. 2) the relation of the parts, 

 as represented, agrees with the American skulls above mentioned. 



The general shape of the nasals in the Taranto (Italy) and Gnetaria (Spain) 

 skulls is the same as in the Long Island (N. Y.) skull in the National Museum, 

 No. 23077, except that there is a difference in pi'oportions in the case 

 of the Taranto specimen, as represented in Gasco's figure (J.7, pi. 4, fig. 9). 

 Indeed, the nasals appear to differ in proportions in all the specimens, no 

 two being exactly alike. In the type of B. cimrctica the nasals have the 

 same emargination of the distal free border as in other Amei-ican and 

 European specimens, as shown in text fig. 84. The convex exterior bor- 

 FiG 84 *^®'' ^^ '" P^''^ overlaid by the intermaxilla when the nasal is in position, 

 so that the latter then appears I'ectilinear in outline, as in other specimens. 

 The vaiiation in length and bi'eadth in the dift'erent specimens is in part due to the un- 

 equal development of the median portion of the frontal against which the nasals rest. 

 The proportions of the various American and European skulls are indicated 

 by the measurements given in the following table : 



