ItAL.KNOPTKIlID.lO. 115 



genus or species any bone that might bo shown to him belongs, even 

 if it were only a phalange or a rib. 



The ear-bones of each genns, as far as I have been able to examine, 

 seem to afford verj^ good characters ; but, imfortunately, they are 

 often sent to the Miisenm separate from the skull and other bones 

 of the animal to which they belong. 



Skeletons of whales are shown in museums and gardens, without 

 any large and expensive Imilding; indeed slight special buildings 

 are best, permitting more ventilation. In Paris, the whale's skeleton 

 is exhibited under a glass roof in the quadrangle of the Museum ; 

 at Antwerp it is shown in a building formed of galvanized iron ; and 

 they are shown in a similar manner at Edinburgh, the Isle of Wight, 

 and other localities. 



I. Dorsal fin low, broad. Pectoral Jin vert/ lonff, ivith 4 ver]/ long Jinrfers 

 of mam/ pludanc/cs. Vertehrce. 55 or GO. Cervical rertebrce often an- 

 clujlosed. Lateral /jroces:^ of the axis tardily ossified. Neural canal 

 lare/e, hi(/h, triangular, as high as broad. Ribs 14 or 15. Coronoid pro- 

 cess of lower Jaw rudimentary. Frontal bone broad, narroived at the 

 orbital end. Orbit moderate. Megapterina, or Iluncbbackud Whales. 



Balajuopterus, Geoffr. Lc<^ons, Mamm. 67, 1835. 



Megaptera, Gray, Zool. Ereb. 8f Terror, 16 ; Cat. Cetac. B. M. 23, 1850 ; 



P. Z. 8. 1864," 203. 

 Megapteron, Gray, Zool. Ereb. ^- Terror, 51. 

 Mysticetus, sp., IVagler, N. S. Amph. 33, 1840. 

 Balsenoptera, § Boops, Bra)idt, Voy. Alt. Orient. 4to, 1845. 

 ? Cyphonotus, R(Jin. Anal. Nat. 6l, 1815 (no character uor type). 

 Kyphobalfena, Eschricht, Nord. JVallthiere, xv. 1845, fol. 

 Balsenoptera leucopteron. Lesson, in. the Nour. Tab. Peg. Aiiim. 202, 



gives this name to ^^ La Humpback des pechcurs'''' of the ^^ Hautes 



'latitudes ,S'." 

 Rorqual du Cap, Cur. 

 Megapterina, Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, 205. 

 Megapterinai, Flower, P. Z. S. 1864, 391. 



Bunch Whale, Dudley, Phil. Trans, xxxiii. 1725, no. 387, p. 258. 

 Humpback Whale, Whalers, Beale, Hist. Sperm W.12; Gray, P. Z. S. 

 - 1864, 350. 

 Balajua nodosa, Bonnat. Cet. 5. 

 Balaenoptera (pars), Lacep. 



The Bunch Whales are easily known from the Finners (Balceno- 

 ptera) in being shorter and more robust, the skull nearly one-fourth of 

 the eiitire length, the head wider between the eyes, the mouth larger, 

 the lip warty, and the nose large and rounded ; the plaits of the 

 belly and throat are broad ; the dorsal is more forward ; the pectoral 

 larger and narrow, about one-fifth of the length of the body ; and the 

 tail is wider, and the lobes generally more pointed. 



The skull of this genus is intermediate in form between that of 

 Bahrna and Balcmoptera. 



This kind of whale was noticed by Dudley (Phil. Trans, xxxiii. 258) . 

 He says, "The Bunch or Hiiniphacl-ed Whale has a bunch standing 

 in the place where the fin does in the Fin-back ; this bunch is as 

 big as a man's head, and a foot high, shaped like ;i plug pointing 



I 2 



