1 74 BAL^ENOPTEETDiK. 



specimen, and the hyoids from the one at Lej^den. In assigning 

 only five vertebrae to the cervical region, Rudolphi is obviously in 

 error, being probably misled by the mode in which the skeleton was 

 articulated. He states that the transverse processes of the cervical 

 vertebrae have all (that is, the first five) very large holes. If this is 

 strictly correct (that is, if the holes are completely surrounded by 

 bone), it indicates a more advanced state of ossification than in the 

 Leyden specimen — a circumstance, of which the pecvdiaritj is some- 

 what diminished by the fact that the skeleton of a whale of the same 

 species, and of almost exactly the same size, in the Brussels Museum 

 is in a condition intermediate between the two, the processes of the 

 second and third vertebrae being completely united, but not those 

 of the fourth and fifth. In calling his specimen Balcena rostrata, 

 lludolphi was acting upon the idea, then prevalent, of the specific 

 unity of many of the northern Fin-Whales now known to be distinct. 

 Dr. Gray seems to have been the first to point out that it differed 

 from all whales which had been previouslj^ described with anything 

 like definite accuracy, and gave it the name of ' Rudolphi's Finner 

 Whale,' Balcenoptera Jaticeps (Zoology of the Erebus and Terror, 

 1846); this name therefore has the right of priority for the species." 

 —Flower, P. Z. S. 1864, 397-399. 



In the Brussels Museum " there is a veiy interesting skeleton, 

 almost the exact counterpart in size to that in the Leyden Museum. 

 It Avas obtained by Eschricht from the North Cape. The condition of 

 the epiphyses shows that it is young, they being all non-united both 

 in the vertebral column and long bones ; but the ossification of the 

 transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae has proceeded further 

 than in that at Leyden. The skeleton is well articulated, and gives 

 now a total length of 31' 8" ; but about 6" must be added for the 

 end of the tail, which is wanting. The dimensions of the skvdl are 

 given in the Table at p. 180. The nasals are narrow, cut off" nearly 

 straight at their anterior ends, shghtly hollowed on each side above. 

 The lacrymals are thickened at their outer edge. The orbital pro- 

 cesses of the frontals broad externally. Lower jaw light, little 

 curved, and with a short triangular coronoid process, 



*' There are 7 cervical, 14 dorsal, and 32 lumbo-caudal vertebrae 

 present ; about 5 of the latter are absent, which would make a total 

 of 58. The atlas has the usual characteristics of the genus. The 

 transverse process of the axis forms a complete ring, the aperture of 

 which has a length of 2|" and height of 2". The whole process is 

 5^" long, but is incomplete at the end ; it is 5|" in height at the 

 middle, and the opening is situated much nearer the upper than 

 the lower margin of the process. In the third vertebra also the 

 upper and lower processes are united ; in the fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 they are separate. The lower one of the sixth is shortest, broad, and 

 twisted on itself. In the seventh the inferior process is represented 

 by a small tubercle. 



"There are 13 ribs present on the right side, and 14 on the left. 

 The fourteenth is very much thinner than the others, twisted back- 

 wards at its lower end, with a very slender head, articulated to the 



