ANATOMY OF MEGAPTERA LONGIMANA. 37 



11. TABLE III. Number of Ossified Bones in each Digit. 



In the 60J-feet-long JB. musculus, digit III. is somewhat 

 deformed, the three distal bones detached, narrow, and partly 

 pushed up between digits III. and IV. The 5th bone of its 

 digit II. is a very narrow cone about an inch in length. This 

 whale was mature if not aged. Its pisiform cartilage is partly 

 ossified. In the 65 to 66-feet-long B. musculus, which may be 

 regarded as aged, the 5th bone of digit II. is 2J inches in 

 length ; the 5th bone (now lost) of digit V. was 2 J inches in 

 length. The 8th bone of digit IV. is small, f inch in length. 

 I have no note as to the presence of a terminal cartilage in 

 addition to the 5, 8, 8, 5 bones. In the 64-feet-long B. musculus 

 each digit had a terminal cartilage, in addition to the 4, 7, 6, 4 

 bones (this Journal, 1871). 



Looking to the state of the terminal cartilages above described, 

 it would appear that this Megaptera has unossified cartilages in 



1 The number of bones in each digit of Megaptera given by Van Beneden 

 and Gervais (Osteographie des Cttacte, completed 1877, PI. X. and XL, fig. 5, 

 the Megaptera longimana of the Brussels Museum ; Text, p. 129) is, including 

 the metacarpal, 3, 8, 8, 4 ; beyond these a terminal cartilage is figured, though 

 not of the same shape as in my Megaptera. The number figured by D'Alton, in 

 his fasciculus (Die Skelete der Cetaceen, 1827, Taf. III., fig. e), is 3, 8, 7, 3, with 

 what appears to be intended for a terminal cartilage on each. The form of the 

 phalanges is not well represented. In the small figure given by Rudolphi of the 

 skeleton of his 43-feet-long Megaptera longimana (Loc. cit., Taf. L, fig. 1) the 

 numbers shown, including the metacarpals, are 3, 9, 7, 4 ; but he mentions that 

 the 9th of digit III. "hat keine Knochensubstanz. " The number given by 

 Eschricht (Loc. ciL, p. 141) is 3, 9, 9, 3. His figures are from two foetuses. In 

 that from his 45-inch-long foetus (Taf. III., fig. 4) his enumeration, 3, 8, 8, 3, is 

 in addition to the metacarpal bones. The terminal pieces in the figure would 

 correspond numerically to what I have described above as the terminal cartilage, 

 except in his digit V. which would require an additional piece. In his figure 

 (XVIII. p. 79) of the 35-inch-long foetus, if the metacarpal and the terminal 

 cartilage are included, the numbers are, 4, 10, 10, 4. In my Megaptera the inclu- 

 sion of the metacarpal and the terminal cartilage would make the numbers 4, 9, 9, 

 5 ; or in view of the two joints in the terminal cartilage of the index, 5, 9, 9, 5. 



