ANATOMY OF MEGAPTERA LONGIMANA, 97 



the posterior border, the intertransverse projection is seen in 

 various degrees, giving the wavy outline. 



The ends are all convex and incompletely ossified, except the 

 5th and 6th caudal, which are sharply finished. The unfinished 

 state being only at the ends seems to indicate that further 

 ossification would have added to the length but scarcely to the 

 breadth of the processes. On the whole, these processes do not 

 expand much, although on the last five lumbar it is noticeable 

 enough. The breadths of the narrowest and broadest parts of 

 the process, respectively, are — of the 1st lumbar, Sj and 4 inches; 

 of the 8th, which has the greatest expansion, 3^ and 5^ ; of the 

 10th, 3f and 4f. 



Comparing the breadth of the lumbar processes at their outer 

 half with that of the spaces between them, the first two spaces 

 are rather less than the processes ; the five next about equal. 

 From the 8th vertebra backwards, the spaces become wider and 

 wider compared with the processes. Between the first five 

 caudal the spaces are two to three times as wide as the pro- 

 cesses. This depends not only on the processes becoming nar- 

 rower, but on the increased distance in the caudal region 

 between the bodies of the vertebrae. 



22. General Survey of the Transverse Processes in 

 Megaptera. — Viewed from the caudal end and from above, the 

 extreme outline of the processes, from the last costal vertebra 

 backwards, has the figure of the hinder half of an ellipse, the 

 convex edges tapering very rapidly on the 4th, 5th, and 6th 

 caudal, the latter being the first which shows a prominent 

 transverse process. This view of Megaptera is remarkable for 

 the absence of transverse processes on the fifteen posterior 

 caudal vertebrae, a space of about 7| feet, giving the caudal 

 vertebrae a clipped appearance. Forwards, what strikes the eye 

 is the upturning of the dorsal transverse processes, becoming 

 very marked on the 12th. At the same time the outline figure 

 narrows forwards to form the fore part of the ellipse, but the 

 tilting up of the dorsal processes breaks the outline. Viewed 

 from the atlantal end, the upturning of the dorsal processes is 

 still more apparent, rising like the ribs of a ship. The outline 

 along the dorsal processes shows contraction forwards, but not 

 much convexity. To the eye the 14th dorsal seems the widest, 



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