92 



vertebrse slender, rather longer, far apart. The upper apophysis of 

 the sixth bent do\vn, rather elongate, the lower one thicker, shorter, 

 and bent up at the end. 



Skeleton in the British Museum. Taken on the coast of 'VVales 

 and towed into Liverpool in 1S46. 



The length of the skeleton of the Liverpool specimen is 38 feet ; 

 the head is 9 feet long. The vertebrse are 60 in number, and there 

 are 15 pairs of simple ribs. 



The cervical vertebrae are all separate, and nearly eąually developed ; 

 the body of the cervical vertebrse is sąuarish oblong, about one-fourth 

 broader than high. The spinal canal is oblong, depressed, t\vice as 

 wide as high. The second vertebra is twice as thick as the other, 

 ■vv'ith two large broad lateral processes scarcely as long as half the 

 width of the vertebra, coming together at the end, but separate, and 

 leaving an oblong hole between them. The third, fonrth, fifth and 

 bixth each with superior and inferior narrower lateral processes, the 

 upper one of the third being the narrowest, and gradually increasing 

 in thickness to the sixth ; the lovver of the fourth rather the broadest, 

 and of the sixth the thickest and most tapering at the end. 



The third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh have only t\vo rather 

 short processes on each s!de, the upper process being the most slen- 

 der, compressed and bent down, and the lovver one conical, stronger, 

 compressed ; the processes of the third vertebra ai e the thinnest, and 

 they gradually increasein thickness andstrength to the seventh orlast. 



The specimen here described was mentioned in the papers of the 

 day as a spermaceti whale ! 



3. PhYSALUS (RoRdūALUS) SiBBALDII. 



The transverse apophyses of the second cervical vertebra rather 

 elongated, united, leaving only a small subccntral hole ; of the other 

 cervical vertebrEe slender, shorter and far apart, nearly straight, di- 

 rected out laterally. 



Inhab. Coast of Yorkshire. 



There is in the museum of the HuU Literary and Philosophical 

 Societj' a very perfect skeleton of this species, taken in the Humber, 

 which is fifty feet long. It has 64 vertebrse, as follows : cervical 7, 

 thoracic 16, lumbar and caudal 41 ; and the arms and paddles are 6 

 feet 9 inches long ; the ribs 16 pair, all simple. The baleen is black. 



This specimen is said to have been eight years old, but on ■n'hat 

 authority I cannot learn. 



I have to thank my friend Mr. Pearshall, the curator of the above 

 museum, for his kiudness in sending me a detailed drau'ing of the 

 natūrai size of the cervical vertebise of this interesting species. 



• For the purpose of comparison with the foregoing description, I 

 here add the follo\ving account of the cer\'ical vertebrBe of Megapteron 

 longimanus, or Hunchback IVhale, from a fine skeleton in the col- 

 lection of the British Museum. 



The second cervical has two very large, thick, converging, lateral 

 processes, as long as half the diaraeter of the body of the vertebra. 



