ZOOLOGY.-^NAllVrAL. 187 



in two or three feet of tail somewhat conical, and 

 from thence a ridge commencing, both attlieback and 

 belly, the section becomes first an ellipse, and then 

 a rhombus at the junction of the tail. At the dis- 

 tance of 12 or 14 inches from the tail, the perpen- 

 dicular diameter is about 12 inches, the transverse 

 diameter about 7. The back and belly ridges run 

 half way across the tail, or more ; and the edges of 

 the tail in the same way run 6 or 8 inches along the 

 body, and form ridges on the sides of the rump. 

 After a very slight elevation at the blowhole, the 

 outline of the back forms a regular curve ; the belly 

 rises or seems drawn in near the vent, and expands 

 to a perceptible bump, about two feet beforer the 

 genitalia. From the neck, three or four feet back- 

 ward, the back is rather depressed, and appears 

 flat. 



The head is about one-seventh of the whole length 

 of the animal ; it is small, blunt, round, and of a 

 paraboloidal form. The mouth is small, and not ca- 

 pable of much extension. The under lip is wedge- 

 shaped. The eyes are small, the largest diameter 

 being only an inch, and are placed in a line with 

 the opening of the mouth, about 13 inches from the 

 snout. The blov/hole, which is directly over the 

 eyes, is a single opening, of a semicircular form, 

 about Sj inches in diam.eter or breadth, and li ra- 

 dius or length. The fins, which are 12 or 14 inches 

 long and 6 or 8 broad, are placed at one-fifth of the 



