76 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
The specimen in question has very low and scarcely incurved maxil- 
lary crests; the shortest distance of which is two and two-thirds. times 
greater than their greatest height, and although it still is in its * adoles- 
cent” stage, I should greatly doubt whether the crests in this species 
ever become developed to such a degree as, for instance, in Hyperoddon 
diodon (Lacép.). The groove between tle maxillary and the nuchal crest 
is very shallow. The maxillary notchisdeep. The beak is long, making 
only a little less than half the length of the entire skull. Nares straight; 
right nasal larger than the left one, but not very much. The occipital 
condyles do not come in contact beneath the foramen magnum; the sym- 
physis of the lower jaw is very short, amounting to only one-fifth of the 
whole length of the jaw. : 
Want of time and books prevents me from making more extended 
remarks, and until I can present an exhaustive and comparative descrip- 
tion, I shall have to content myself by giving a provisional table of 
dimensions. The following dimensions are in millimeters and English 
inches, and are in every case measured in a straight line: 
| Millime- 
| ters. Inches. 
| 
Meng th otis kal 2s bes ne eased sees wl mela nae one alas eel nee a eee eee | 1405 55. 32 
Greatest i bread theese oes ne senna ee cote rane eeiacln sae aee ents Seen Ce meee ae eer 698 27. 48 
ES W ath etsy Ad nel ta) th eee oF eee en oe el, ee eRe pe cn Oe oso eroreaneedieesceegs ee e+ | 530 20. 87 
Length from the process of supramaxillaries before orbit to posterior edge of | 
condyl Ca ee ees tHe Re a es Ser Pe IE AmaRAUeee Mo bam cess Stich sist. | 610 24. 02 
Length from the same process to tip of beak ......-.-.--..-------222--+----0-eee- | 890 35. 04 
Depth of maxillary.notch ........5........-.:----- Se AAA Tose sesee. creHic) 50 1.97 
Henpthiat premaxilaniosy | esce setae eee eee estes o Shee ou one cee alee eae 1222 48.11 
Premaxillaries reach beyond sn pramaxillanies BL AB SSa Se yec cone oat ce icocadisiccco- 134 | 5. 28 
Distance of upper edge of maxillary crests at their anterior end...........---..-. 228 | 8. 98 
Distance otsame at their Middle) =- So. - peso s-esee eon maa amon oe cane ae pee 358 14.10 
Greatest ne Of Maxillary, CLEStA ce cice cise /-elein c= cleleniecimeincelels nie sale eee eee 86 3. 39 
Length of visible part of vomer ...-.---.------ +--+ 2-220 eee eee nee ee eee eee neces: 325 12. 80 
Distance from anterior tip of vomer to tip Of beak cs te ence eee eee 275 | 10. 83 
Benetton pteny Cod siieecbiia- - ses-otooe be eae eens oe Oepek phe eee eal mee ees 295 11. 62 
Height Of LOraAmMen MAST UM- eeeeee elsesis nee see saa ene ae eee 70) 2.76 
Widthiofiforanenimarnnm. «222 26c. fae eee. ee as as oe eee eee 80) 3.15 
Distance of condyles at upper edge of foramen magnum.......------------------ 100 | 3. 94 
Closest approximation of condyles beneath the foramen magnum ..-... .-..------ 2 0. 08 
Aintree Len shh. Ol LOMEL Tae sats esos ace ois lel aicle einai a= is tena raters aie ant eal reat 1292 50. 88 
Height of lower jaw at second tooth groove.......-..-----------+-------+---++++- 100 3. 94 
Length OLIS VID DSS weer eles ee tate elnlos aiotalo ene renelaiee = inlets eee te ee | 257 10.12 
Greatest diameter of foremost tooth groove (longitudinal) .....-..--.---.-------- 100 3. 94 
Shortest diameter of foremost tooth groove (transverse) ..---.-------------------- 45 1.77 
Greatest diameter of posterior tooth ¢ grove (longitudinal) ........---...-.....---- 40 1.58 
Shortest diameter of posterior tooth groove (transverse) .----...----------------- 35 | 1,38 
Distance between the tooth grooves. =. .<leashcscce oe sane aneneclence eooseme wea am 65 2. 56 
This specimen was found stranded in Stare Gavan, on the eastern 
shore of Bering Island in the fall of last year, and only the skull was 
preserved. From analogy I should judge that the entire length of the 
animal must have been about 18 feet (54 meters). This species is well 
known by the natives for the cathartic quality of the blubber, resem- 
bling in this respect the Atlantic ‘‘ Dégling,” or “Anarnak” (Hyperoddon 
diodon). The Russian name, by which the inhabitants here designate 
this whate, is Pla-wn (sp. Pliioon), while the Aleut name is Kigan aga- 
lusoch, the meaning of which is said to be ‘having teeth on the nose,” 
