034 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



diaji'iiosis by Miiller.' The diagnosia is merely "7? rosirafa minima 

 rostra louj/issimo ct acutissimo.''' This might apply to a toothed whale. 

 It aj)peais to have been taken from IO<;ede, who gives, under the liead- 

 iii^ of swordlisli, adc^scription whic.li seems to relate i)artly to that fish, 

 partly to the sawfish, and partly to the orca or killer whale. 



The ligure whieh he ^ives does not accord at all with the main ])art 

 of Ihe deserii)tioii, as Fabriciiis long- aj?o pointed out; but as far as it 

 resembles any known animal, appears to represent the killer. It is not 

 worthy of serious consideration." 



The ligure of Pont()i)pidan, which is cited by Miiller, is that of a 

 toothed whale and probably IlyperoMon, while the common names 

 cited "Nebbe llval," "Anderne-Fia," "Dogling," etc., refer also to that 

 genus. 



Fabricius, in 1780, introduces under tbe same name, liahvna rontratdj-* 

 a whalebone whale, which in all ]»robability is the sp(H',ies under cop- 

 sideralion. As the name is pre^occupied in Miiller's woik, however, it 

 can not be used. 



We find our s])ecies again under another name for the first time in 

 Lac(''[)('de's llistoire Naturelle des (!(''ta<',«'S.' 



It is here called liaUvnoptera <umto-rostrata, and it wouhl api)ear that 

 this name must hold. The description is very full and fairly accurate, 

 and tli(^ figiirc! is unmistakable. 



I Since the forefjoing' was written an article by Mr. Old Held Thomas on 

 the technical names of British mamnuils has ap[)eared in the Zoologist 

 (March, 189<S), in which I observe that he accepts liaUvnoptera avuto- 

 rostrata as the i)roper nanu*. for this s])ecies. | 



The Euroj)ean humpback is currently designated Mcfjaptera hoops. 

 We have observed, however, that the HaUvna hoops of Linna-us (1758) 

 is not this animal. On the otliei- hand, the liaUvna hoops of Fabricius 

 (1780) is un(lortbte<lly of the present genus, and if the Greenland 

 animal is the same w.ould be applicable; but in any case, as the name 

 is ])reoc('ui)ied, we shall have to search the later literature for a valid 

 cognomen. This would appear to be found in lionnaierre's lidlana 

 nodosa.-' This sjjecies, however, is founded on l)udh\y's account of the 

 whales of New I^juglaiid, and if there is a difference between the 

 lium])back of the eastern and that of the western Atlantic, this name 

 would belong' to the latter rather than the fornu'r. 



The next name in chronological order is Uudolphi's llalana longi- 

 mana, published in 1821) ( ?).'' This was based on a specimen thrown up 



' Zoologii^ Diiiiicii' IModidiiiiis, 177G, p. 7. 



-Ef^ede, A Dcvscriptioii of (Jrccnliuul, 1745, )). 73, pi. 6 (Eu>>li8h traiiHlatioii). I 

 liav(i not seen tlio oiif^iiiiil work. 



•' Fiuiiiii Gnniliintlicii, 17«0, )). 10. 



'Vol. I, All XII (18():{-l),i.. I!t7,i»1.8. 



"' Ci'tologie, 178it, p. 5. 



'Abliaiidl. K. Akad. Wissoiiscli. ISorlin, 18L'0 (1832?), pp. 13.3-114, jds. i-v. Soo 

 iilso Mriiiidt and K'at/.clmrn, Me<li/.ini.s(lio Zoolojrio, 18L!!l-33, pp. lL'2-124, \A. Hi, 

 litfs. 5-8. 



