

OETACEA. 



Carter murk*, that the skull of tho Greenland Whale differs more 

 froiu Uw Balmut of the Cape than the ukulU of the Rorqual* differ 

 fit-in each other. lie points out these differences, which extend, 

 although slightly, to the bones of the ear ; and expresses hii opinion 

 that they are different specie*. 



Skull of Greenland Whale, with lower jaw, profile. 



In the great Cape Balu-na, according to Cuvier, the atlas, the axis, 

 and tho live other cervical vortebrto arc united together by their 



jection externally : there are only three in the second. Tho niotatar- 

 sals arc in length only double their i.ltli. The thumb has two 

 phalange*, the ring-finger four, the little finger three; and all are 

 terminated by a cartilaginous dilatation. A wide and short fin 

 obliquely rounded is the result. (' Osseuiens Fossiles.') 



The pelvis in the Cetaceans is, as we have seen, only rudimentary ; 

 but it may be necessary here to give a summary of the modit. 

 of the bouos and their connection with the skeleton in the di 

 groups. 



In the Dugong it consists of two pain of bones joined two and t . .. 

 and end to end, by a cartilage: to the vetebno this appar, 

 attached by a cartilage also. 



The construction of this part varies in the true Zoophagous 

 Cetaceans. Two small long bones lodged in the flesh, one on each 

 side of the anus, form the pelvic rudiments in the Dolphins. 1 

 great whales, the Mysticete, or Whalebone Whale, for example, at the 

 extremity of each of the bones, regarded by comparative anatomists as 

 ilia, a second, which is smaller and curved, is articulated. Tl 

 vexity of this last bone is external, and may be considered as n 

 or i.-ehinm. 



.-TIT " 



Skeleton of Mj>tifctc, or Whalebone Whale. 



bodies. All their spiuons apophyses are anehyloaed into a single 

 crest The atlas and axis unite bosides by their upper transverse 

 apophysea, which are wide and strong : their lower transverse 

 apophyses, which are equally long and strong, are anchylosed to each 

 other and to that of the third, which is more slender. The next 

 four cervicals kave only delicate transverse apophysea, of which the 

 third, fourth, and fifth are anchylosed together. The last also has 

 only one upper transverse apophyaia, but longer, stronger, free, and 

 directed forwards. Cuvier remarks that this division of the 

 apophyses into upper and lower responds to the two branches 

 separated by a canal, which are seen in those of ordinary mammal*. 

 The transverse apophysea of the first dorsal are directed also forwards, 

 and are long and a little stronger than at the last cervical ; they 

 commence increasing in bulk, and shortening at the fourth dorsal. 

 The succeeding take a more transverse direction, and are enlarged at 

 the end, to the tenth inclusive. Counting from the eleventh, they 

 again begin to elongate to the seventeenth; they, then diminish 

 insensibly to the thirty -fourth, where they disappear. They are 

 throughout longer than in the "Cachalot, and enlarged towards the 

 end, the contrary of which is manifested in that genus. There are 

 fifteen pain of ribs ; the last four pairs and the first two do not reach 

 the body of the vertebra, and are only attached to its transverse 

 apophysis. The first pair is flattened and extremely wide, especially 

 at the sternal extremity. The last three are slender and short. 

 After the fifteen dorsal vertebra; come twenty-seven others. The 

 V-shaped bones commence between the eleventh and twelfth ; they 

 are small compared with those of the Cachalot, and disappear after 

 the twenty-sixth. The eleven or twelve last vertebra; have no longer 

 any eminences. The last of all are nearly quadrangular, and are 

 each pierced with two vertical holes. The spinous apophyses form a 

 tolerably uniform scries of moderate height, all inclined forwards ; 

 they begin to diminish on the tail. The anterior articular apophyses 

 are not elevated, remain at the same height, and preserve the same 

 dimensions. They widen on the tail where they have no articulation 

 to furnish, and the last five or six, nearly equal to the corresponding 

 spinous apophyses, form with them on their vertebra a trilobatcd 



[.:.':. 



The single bone of the sternum was oblong, widest in front, and 

 carried on each side an articular facet for a rib. 



The shoulder-blade is nearly flat; one can scarcely perceive a slight 

 concave curvature : it is nearly fan-shaped, and less wide than high. 

 Its anterior border is simple, and has only a single projecting ano- 

 t>h yin, which from its position is probably the acromion. Its articular 

 head is much wider in proportion than in the Cachalot The humi n H 

 is stout and short, scarcely twice as long as it is thick. Its tuberosity 

 does not reach beyond the head in front ; this last is hemispherical, 

 and nearly parallel to the axis. The lower head is divided into two 

 Hlightly inclined planes for the ulna and radius, which two bones are 

 compressed ; the ulna is the narrowest, especially in it middle. Its 

 upper head is slightly oblique at its axis, and the olecranou ascends a 

 little instead of recurving into a hook, as in the Cachalot The radius 

 enlarges below, so as to be there two-thirds of iU length ; above it is 

 not more than a third. There are four carpal bones in the first row, 

 of which the ulnar l.no, which responds to the pisiform, formi n pro- 



Digestive Organs. Phytophagous Cataceans. The teeth (molars) of 

 the Manatees are ridged doubly or trebly, the root distinct from the 

 crown : here the resemblance to the pachyderms, Tapir and Hippopo- 

 tamus for instance, is very strong. The molars of the Dugongs are 

 elliptical, without true fangs, and with two slight furrows on the 

 unworn crown, which disappear with age. In the upper jaw are two 

 tusks. In the Kylince there arc no molars; but then i* in lieu of them 

 a horny plate in the middle of each jaw. The tongue is short, and can 

 hardly be endowed with much motion. The form of the os hyoides is 

 simple : anchylosis between the body and posterior cornua soon 

 supervenes ; but the latter send no ligament to the thyroid cartilage. 

 The anterior coruua remain generally cartilaginous, and are the medium 

 of union between the body, or basi-hyal, and the large and long n 



Professor Owen states that the opening of the larynx is chiefly 

 defended, during the submarine mastication of tho vegetable food of 

 the Dugong, by the extreme contraction of the faucial aperture, which 

 resembles that of the Capybara. No pyramidal larynx traverses it, 

 as in the true Cctacra. Two large parotid glands ui imme- 



diately behind the large ascending rainus of th lower jaw. A thick 

 layer of simple folliculur glands is developed above the membr 

 the palate, and a glandular stratum is situated between the in 

 and muscular coats of the lower part of the oesophagus. Professor 

 Owen states that a similar but more developed glandular trn< -tniv is 

 present in the oesophagus of the Ray. He then a it the 



stomach of the Dugong presents, as Sir Kveivml Home had justly 

 observed, some of the peculiarities met with in tho Whale Tribe, the 

 1'eccari and Hippopotamus, and tho Beaver : like that of the tint it 

 is divided into distinct compartments ; like the second and third it 

 has pouches super-added to and communicating w ith it ; and like the 

 last it is provided with a remarkable glandular apparatus near the 

 cardia. These modifications, the Professor remarks, obviously har- 

 monise with the difficult digestibility and low-organised m 

 food of the Dugong. " Yet" nays he, "it is a fac-t that would not 

 have been a priori expected, that in the Carnivorous Cflacea tho 

 stomach is even more complicated than in the Herbivorous species, 

 and presents a closer resemblance to the ruminant stomach ; it is 

 dividi-d, for example, into a greater number of receptacles, and has 

 the first cavity like the rumen lined with cuticle ; while . 

 Dugong, on the contrary, the stomach i properly divided lal 

 parts only (of which the second much more resembles in' 

 both ore lined with a mucous membrane." After a liimin 

 account of the stomach, Professor Owen observes that it would seem 

 that a cicviiui and he minutely describes that of the Dugong is 

 present in all the Herbivorous Celaeea : notices it as of 



large size and sacculated in th Northern M.mv. . mid 



Daubeuton has given a figure of the bifid ccecum in ti 

 Manatee (Hanoi tu Xnuriccifttw). It is interesting, he ad. Is. ' 

 that a caput coli (' ' u and structure of whieh in the I >iifr<uig 



he describes) is present in the true <\in,-ni, ><ln. whieh 



subsist on animal food of the lowest organised kind. Tie ui 

 the alimentary canal and the individual differences presented h\ the 

 three specimens having been elaborately det-iile.l, IV,. lessor Owen 

 proceeds to point out that the Dugong with respect to the biliary 



