BY HEBER A. LONGMAN. QO] 
Sea, the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand, 
but notwithstanding its wide range Ziphius cavirostris‘seems 
to be one of the rarer Ziphioid whales. The affinities of 
the New Zealand specimens, first described by Haast and 
Hector as distinct species, were demonstrated by Turner.* 
A specimen reported from Liscannor, Co. Clare, Ireland, 
was subsequently found to be True’s Mesoplodon mirum.t 
Skul]l,—The majority of the sutures are markedly 
open, as may be seen from the illustrations. In the occipital 
plane, the lateral sutures separating the parietals may be 
distinguished. There is a median suture between the fron- 
tals. The massive, conjoined nasals include an asymmet- 
rical bone which protrudes in advance of the frontals for 
some distance in the median suture. A partial suture is 
also present on the right nasal. The prenarial basin, so 
characteristic of adult forms, is not strongly developed. 
The premaxille in this region are flattened, especially that 
on the right, whilst a longitudinal groove is present on the 
left. The foramen of the left premaxilla is smaller and is 
situated a little anteriorly to that on the right. The 
mesorostral ossification is not prominent, only appearing 
on the floor of the deep groove formed in the rostrum by 
the semi-tubular premaxille. For some distance in front 
of their lateral expansions, the maxille have a well-marked 
double (ectomaxillary) ridge. The maxillary prominences 
are small and unequally developed, that on the right side 
being the larger. 
The anterior part of the palatal surface of the rostrum 
is formed by the premaxille, the vomer appearing 
145mm. from the tip. The converging sides of the maxille 
are produced between the palatine strips and just exclude 
the vomer, which reappears after a few millimetres and 
separates the palatines as they junction with the ptery- 
goids. The palatine strips are only about 8 mm. across 
in this region. The slender jugals are lost, with the excep- 
tion of an anterior fragment on the left side. The ear- 
bones were misplaced in transit, and in Plate IV. the 
mastoid portion is missing in the postero-lateral contour. 
Although detached, both tympanic and both periotic 
*Turner, Challenger Zoology, vol. 1, No. iv, 1880, p. 27. 
{‘‘ Nature,” May 22nd, 1919, p. 237. 
