BALJSNOPTERID.E. 107 



more or less developed. Baleen-plates short. Cervical vertebrae 

 usually all free. Hand narrow and tetradactylous." — Flower, P.Z. IS. 

 18G4, 391. 



The anatomy of these animals, and especially a description of their 

 bones, has been given by Albers, Anat. Comp. 1. 1 ; Camper, Cetaces, 

 t. 11 & 12; Rudolphi, Berl. Abhandl. 1820, t. 1-4; Cuv. Oss. Foss. 

 v. 5G4. t. 2Q. f. 5; Eavin, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1841, 337; and by Van 

 Breda, Van der Linden, and J. Dubar, in separate pamphlets on the 

 specimen cast ashore at Ostend, which was exhibited in London 

 some years ago ; and the anatomy of Megaptera and Balceiioptcra 

 has been given in detail by Eschricht, who has carefully examined 

 foetal specimens of these whales. 



Cuvier (Oss. Poss. v. 2G4) figures the skull of a specimen described 

 by Lacepede, from the Mediterranean, under the name of Rorqual de 

 la Mediterranee (t. 26. f. 5), and he gives a copy of the head of the 

 skeleton of Balcena rostrata of E-udolphi (Berlin. Abhandl. 1820, 

 t. 1, 2, 3, 4), under the name of liorqual du Nonl (Oss. Foss. v. 

 t. 26. f. 6). 



Polach (New Zealand, ii. 407) describes these whales as having 

 three fins on the back ; this is probably only a false translation of 

 Kay's B. tripennis, referring to its having a dorsal as well as two 

 pectoral fins. 



0. Fabricins (Fauna Grocnlandica, 36) describes B. Boops with the 

 blower on a common tubercle, and covered by a common valve ! 



From the study of Professor Eschricht's paper, and from personal 

 communication with him, and from the examination of the several 

 skeletons of this genus, in different collections, I am satisfied that 

 there are several distinct species. 



The proportions given by the tables quoted in the previous edition 

 of this Catalogue, and the measurement of other specimens (aU of 

 which I drew from scale on paper), have shown that they were 

 permanent, and to be considered as specific or generic distinctions 

 rather than variations in the growth of the same species. These dis- 

 tinctions were further confirmed by the examination of the skeletons ; 

 for it was found that the bones of the neck of the small siiccies 

 (which had been considered to be the young of the larger ones) were 

 anchylosed together, while those of the larger ones were free ; and 

 it also showed that the form of the lateral process of the nuchal 

 vertebra was the same in specimens of different sizes from the same 

 locality, proving that the structure of these bones depended on the 

 mobility of the neck of the different species, fitting it for their 

 different habit and manner of life, indicated by the size of the fins 

 and other external characters. 



It is only necessary to refer to Dr. Jacob's very interesting paper 

 in the ' Dublin Journal of Science ' for 1825, p. 332, where he at- 

 tempts to prove that all the Finner Whales found in the North Sea 

 are of one species. To show how dangerous it is to reason on 

 such subjects, his arguments are scattered to the wind directly a 

 reference and comparison is made to specimens. The examination 

 and comparison of the skeleton, after making every allowance for 



