304 Dr. J. Hector on the Sulphur-bottom Whale. 



Abdomen yellow, finely black -punctured on the sides ; fourth 

 and fifth segments next the middle with a large, brown, un- 

 punctured patch. 



Length d\ lines. 



Smaller than E. Putoni, to which it is closely allied ; but 

 the longer and recurved hinder angles of the pronotum, the 

 black lunate patch on the scutellum, and the difference in 

 puncturing will at once distinguish it from that species. 



[To be continued.] 



XXXVI. — Notes on the Sulphur-bottom Whale of the New- 

 Zealand Whalers. By James Hector, M.D., F.R.S. 

 With a Note by Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



On the 10th of June last a large whale, reported by the 

 whalers to be a true " sulphur-bottom," was cast ashore in 

 Port Underwood, on the south side of Cook Strait, and an 

 assistant was dispatched from the Museum to secure the skele- 

 ton and take measurements. 



The carcass was stranded on a rocky point close to deep 

 water, and had to be dragged into a fresh position before it 

 could be handled. It was so much decomposed that the skull 

 and jaws dropped through the flesh during the removal ; and 

 on this account the external measurements are not reliable. 



The whole of the skeleton was ultimately secured and placed 

 out of reach of the tide to sweeten, the paddles and smaller 

 bones being carefully buried. 



The general form of the whale was slender in proportion to 

 the height, the head appearing long and pointed, and the after- 

 part produced, so that the greatest girth was behind the 

 shoulder. 



The throat and belly strongly plaited with longitudinal 

 bars of hard skin, 2£ inches wide, the interspaces having elas- 

 tic skin. 



Scapula. 



The paddles appeared short in proportion to the general 

 size ; and there was a low recurved and pointed fin on the back 

 just over the vent, and the same distance from the tip of the 

 tail as the length of the head. 



