

CETACEA. 27 



a. Stuffed specimen, young. Greenland. Professor Eschricht's 

 Collection. 



Megapteron Boops, Eschricht. 



b. Skull of adult. Greenland. Professor Eschricht's Collection. 



c. Baleen of skull b. 



d. Skeleton. 

 The cervical vertebrae are all free. The second cervical verte- 

 bra has two very large, thick, converging lateral processes, as 

 long as half the diameter of the body of the vertebra. The third, 

 fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh have elongated slender superior 

 lateral processes which bend rather downwards, and the sixth and 

 seventh rather forwards. The fourth and fifth have a very short 

 rudimentary inferior lateral process, which is smaller on the left 

 side. The other vertebrae are without any. 



The upper part, or the spinous process of the second verrtebra 

 is very large and convex, covering this part of the next vertebra. 

 Gray, P. Z. Soc. 1847, 92. 



Dr. Johnston's description chiefly differs from Rudolphi's in 

 both lips having a row of tubercles, and in the dorsal being said 

 to be a small obscure protuberance ; but the animal laid on its 

 back, sunk in the sand. 



Rudolphi (Eerl. Abhand. 1829, 1. 1, 4) figures the bones of this 

 species, with enlarged details of the skull. They nearly resemble 

 the skull of the Cape Rorqual of Cuvier in form, but the nasal 

 bones are broad and nearly of the same width from the front of 

 the blow-holes to near the tip, where they gradually taper : the 

 temporal appear more quadrangular. 



According to Professor Eschricht, this is the most common 

 whale in the Greenland Seas. In the Danish Transactions he 

 has given a figure of this species, and a very detailed account of 

 its anatomy and development, chiefly founded on the examina- 

 tion of the foetus. 



He observes, " This animal is always infested with Diadema 

 Balcenarum, and with a species of Otion, which he regards as 

 new, while the Cirripedes are never found on any species of Ba- 

 Icenoptera. On the other hand, the Tubicinella, Coronula Balce- 

 naris and Otions are often found on the Balcena Mysticetus or 

 Right Whale of the Southern Seas : see Eschricht, 144. 



The following descriptions must be referred to this species 

 with doubt ; as both agree with true Balanopterce in the position 

 of the genital organs and vent compared with the dorsal fin, and 

 Fabricius especially says the pectoral fin is composed of five 

 fingers. 



Ascanius (Icon. Rer. Nat. iii. t. 26) gives a figure of a female 

 Rorqual with a plaited belly, 66 feet long, from the North Sea, 



B2 



