CEPHALOKHYNCIIUS ALBIFKONS. 



Table of iiuasuremciits — C'oiitiuued. 



Ill 



CEPHALORHYNCHUS ALBIFRONS True. 



Electra dancula Hector, Traus., New Zealand lust., v, 1873, p. 160-162, pis. 1 and 

 3 (skull and exterior); Hutton, Traus. New Zealand lust., ix, 1877, p. 350. 



It is evident from the tigiires .i>iven by Hector that this species is not 

 allied to the section of the genus Lagenorhyiichus which Gray called 

 Electra, but rather to the genus Cephalorhynchus. It also appears to lue 

 equally plain that it is not identical with the preceding species, C. 

 heavinUki. Hector's account is full and clear, and the essential state- 

 ments m it are repeated by Hutton, who appears to have written from 

 his own knowledge. The latter writer states that it is "abundant all 

 around the coasts of i^ew Zealand," while Hector affirms that the differ- 

 ent individuals observed were very uniform in color. 



The species differs from C. heavisidei chiefly in having the whole 

 head white, and in having a dorsal fin ovate rather than triangular in 

 outline. The cervical vertebra'- are represented to be anchylosed to- 

 gether into a single mass, but tuis is probably an error. 



The skull api)arently very closely resembles that of G. heavisidei, but 

 is larger, with wider nares. The pterygoids, according to Hector's 

 figure, are large and constricted at the base somewhat as in G. eutropia. 



The entire animal would appear to be larger than G. heavisidei. Hut- 

 ton gives its length as from 4 to 5 feet. The latter dimensions are not 

 reached by any of the specimens of C. heavisidei thus far acquired, so 

 far as I an; aware, 



