i 4 4 LIFE OF FLOWER 



collections being apparently those of females, which are 

 known to be far inferior in size to the old bulls. 



It may be added, in connection with sperm-whales, 

 that the abrupt termination of the muzzle, shown (in a 

 somewhat modified degree) in the model of the old bull, 

 set up under Sir William's direction in the Whale Room 

 at the Natural History Museum, has been said by certain 

 modern naturalists to be incorrect. Inquiries instituted 

 at the present writer's suggestion at the New Bedford 

 Cachalot-whaling Station have, however, proved that the 

 abruptness is under-estimated rather than exaggerated 

 in the restoration. 



This brief reference to the Whale Room at the 

 museum, and Flower's work in superintending the 

 construction of models of several of the larger members 

 of the group, must, it may be further added, suffice in 

 this place, seeing that fuller mention of the subiect has 

 been already made in an earlier chapter. 



The third memoir of the series in the Zoological 

 Society's Transactions treats of the Chinese white dolphin 

 (DelphinuSy or Prodelphinus, sinensis), and was published 

 in 1872. In the following year appeared one on Risso's 

 dolphin, Grampus griseus, in which the author directed 

 attention to certain variable markings always seen on 

 the skin of this species. These, it has been subse- 

 quently shown, are produced by the claws in the 

 suckers of the cuttlefish which forms the food of this 

 species. 



The two remaining memoirs in the Transactions, 

 which appeared respectively in 1873 anc * 1878, were 

 devoted to that difficult, and at the time imperfectly 

 known group, termed ziphioid, or beaked whales. In 



