194 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



The following notes on these species may be in place here. 



Of the Biila-na cisarctica there is a skeleton in the Museum of the 

 Academy of an individual of thirty-seven feet, and a ramus maudibuli of 

 sixteen feet in length, indicating a total of sixty-eight feet adult size. A 

 scapulajn the Museum Rutger's College, New Brunswick, N. J , measures 36 

 inches in height, and 48 5 in. in width, indicating an adult of 57 feet in 

 length. A young individual of 45 feet line measurement, awaits mounting 

 in the Museum Compar. Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. Of this individual I will 

 shortly give a detailed description in an es^ay on the species Like the other 

 specimens, it presents a strong acromion. The phalanges of the manus ex- 

 hibited an important diflerence from those of B. a u s t r a 1 i s. In it they 

 number respectively 2—5 — 6 — 3 — 3, while Cuvier gives (Oss. Foss. 227, 23) 

 2—5—6—5—4. 



The species of Agaphelus are briefly noticed in the present number of the 

 Academy's proceedings. They will be more fully described shortly from 

 material at present in hand. 



A second and more full examination of the skeleton of the Megaptera 

 o s p h y i a Cope, furnishes the following additional points and characters. 

 The specimen is young, and measures in its present condition, 34 feet. It 

 has, however, lost a considerable number of caudal vertebra;, and from the 

 posterior part of the column, of intervertebral cartilages also ; add to this 

 the shrinking of the cartilages preserved, and the increase of length would 

 perhaps amount to eight feet, giving 42 in all. The asserted length of fifty 

 feet line measurement, which I quoted in my original description, is no 

 doubt an exaggeration. 



The glenoid process is margined by an angular prominence, the rudiment 

 of the coracoid, precisely as in the M. b r a s i 1 i e n s i s. The diapophysis 

 of the atlas is a flat vertical plate, extending from opposite the base of the 

 foramen de/iiati to opposite the widest point of the spinal canal ; inferior poste- 

 rior outline of the atlas broad, slightly concave medially. The mandible is 

 peculiar in the strong angular process, which extends from behind round the 

 side, projecting as far as the condyle, and separated from it by a deep groove. 

 The third and fourth cervicals are united by the neural arch. The first rib 

 is very broad at the extremity ; length 37 inches, width at end, 8-22 in. The 

 orbital processes of the frontal bone are not contracted at the extremities as 

 in M. 1 n g i m a n a, but are more as in Bala^nopterse ; entire width over and 

 within edge of orbit, 15^ in. ; length to vertical plate of maxillary 31 in. The 

 baleen measures two feet in length, is black, with three rows of coarse bristles. 

 Its base is one curve ; its length is spirally twisted. 



The species is probably one of the largest of the Balrenida;. 



The Eschrichtius r ob u s t u s is admitted on the evidence of a ramus of 

 the under jaw in the Museum Rutger's College, which is of peculiar form, 

 and closely resembles the figure given by Lilljeborg of that portion of thid 

 rare species. 



August Ath. 



The President, Dr. Hays, in tlie Chair. 

 Eighteen members present. 



August 11th. 



Mr. Cassin, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Twenty members present. 



[August, 



