TWO ZIPHIOID WHALES 



NOT PREVIOUSLY RFXORDED FROM SoUTH AUSTRALIA. . 

 By EDGAR R. WAITE, F.L.S., Director, S.A. Museum. 



Plates ii-iii. 



1. MESOPLODON LAYARDII Gray. 



Ziphius layardii Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 18(ir), p. 358, fig. a, b, e. 



It is generally conceded that of tlie species of Mesoplodon, the best characterized 

 and best known is M. layardii. 



It was, however, presumed familiarity with this species that led to its being 

 passed over, when determination of a specimen, the subject of this note, was 

 attempted. 



First, looking at the teeth, they were seen to be small and flatly conical, with 

 the ivory tip turned outwards and downwards in a most extraordinary manner: 

 knowing nothing approaching this condition, other features, both of skull and 

 vertebrae, were then investigated, but without satisfactory results. Then the 

 solution flashes across the mind : the teeth were those of an immature M. layardii, 

 the "apex" being the anterior edge of the summit of the future "strap," and the 

 hinder corner the posterior margin of the summit. When once the condition was 

 realized, confirmation was fortlicoming. Krefft and Gray published an illustration 

 of an almost identical tooth, but failing to realize its connection with the Strap- 

 toothed Whale, described it as the type of a new genus and species. (^) The 

 figure, however, scarcely does justice to the condition as seen in our example, of 

 which reproductions from actual photographs are supplied. The description, by 

 Turner, of another tooth will be referred to later. Advantage has been taken of 

 the opportunity to give some general notes on the animal and its skeleton. 



The whale was cast up on the beach near Kingston, in Lacepede Bay, in 

 February 1919, its occurrence being reported by Mr. Norman B. Tindale. It was 

 some time later before I was able to visit the scene, by which time the softening 

 flesh had settled down, so that any hope that had been entertained of casting the 

 animal was out of the question, Mr. R. Limb, the Museum Formator, having accom- 

 panied me with that end in view. The carcase had been somewhat mutilated, as 

 usual in such cases, by visitors, but the pair of divergent throat grooves was appar- 



(1) Krefft & Gray, Ann. Mn^. Nat. Hist. (4), vii, 1871, p. 368, fig. 



