348 Mr. W. Thompson on the Occurrence 



ft. in. 



Length of eye-opening • 2 



Width of eye-opening Of 



Distance from eye to ear 7-J 



Depth of the mandibles at the base 9 



Depth of forehead 1 9 



Height of head 2 8 



Width of palate 5 



Width of lower mandible 5 



Circumference of upper mandible 1 6 



Circumference of lower mandible 1 8 



Circumference of body at the pectoral 11 10 



Circumference in front of the dorsal 11 4 



Circumference behind the dorsal 9 10 



Circumference at base of the caudal 3 2 



The greatest circumference, which was exactly 9 ft. 3 in. from 



the tip of the snout .. 13 8 



The measurements are very numerous, but I was most anxious 

 to leave nothing undone or in doubt. 



In the specimen I am now describing, which is the larger of 

 the two, the forehead is very high and more perpendicular 

 than in Mr. Bell's figure in the ' British Mammalia/ but 

 which otherwise gives a very good idea of the animal ; it re- 

 minded me of that part in a King Charles's spaniel. The snout 

 was 14 inches in length, rounded at the end ; the sides of it were 

 appressed. The palate, as well as the surface of the lower jaw, 

 were crowded with small tubercles, which, as well as the whole 

 of that portion, were extremely hard to the touch ; but as the 

 animals were caught the day previous to that on which I ex- 

 amined them, the hardness might have partly arisen from their 

 having become dry : I could not detect anything that would in- 

 duce me to suppose them to be rudimentary vestiges of whale- 

 bone. I sought carefully for teeth, but could find none whatever, 

 neither could I feel any in the gums ; they were in fact wanting. 

 Under the lower jaw, the position of the inferior maxillse is 

 marked by a suture running their whole length and united 

 together at the chin. The tongue was very large, short, and 

 rounded, and reaches to within 13 inches from the tip of the 

 snout ; it appears to be a bag of skin, containing blubber and not 

 flesh, and was of a purplish colour. The blowhole is in the shape 

 of a crescent with the horns turned forwards, and not backwards 

 as stated in Bell and Jenyns ; the orifice is covered with a skin 

 valve. The dorsal, which is very small for the size of the ani- 

 mal, and which can be of but little if any use, is placed consi- 

 derably nearer the tail than the head ; it inclines backwards at 

 an acute angle, and has its posterior edge (which is on a line 

 with the centre of the vulva) much hollowed out. The body for 

 the distance of about 4 feet from the base of the caudal is com- 

 pressed at the sides, and runs off to a keel on both back and 



