BOTTLE-NOSED WHALES 



Family Ziphiida 



These whales are rare on our coasts and comparatively little 

 is known of their habits. They are intermediate between the 

 sperm whales and dolphins, both in size and structure. They 

 all possess protruding snouts and have never more than two 

 teeth. The front of the skull enlarges with age, the forehead be- 

 coming vertical or even projecting in very old individuals. Three 

 species are known on our coast. 



Bottle-nosed Whale 



Hyperoodon ro stratus (Miiller) 



Length. 20 feet. 



Description. Forehead more or less vertical, as described above, 

 beak prominent, a depression on the head around the blowhole, 

 flippers and dorsal fin moderate. No teeth visible, though 

 two can be found at the front of the lower jaw loosely bur- 

 ied in the gums. Colour blackish lead, somewhat lighter 

 below. 



Range. North Atlantic and doubtless other oceans. 



Ziphius Whale 



Ziphius cavirostris Cuvier 



Length. 15-20 feet. 



Description. Similar to the preceding, but with the teeth at the 

 front of the lower jaw usually visible. Three of the neck 

 vertebral bones are also separate, while in the bottle-nose 

 all are united. Colour light stone-gray, darker on the belly. 



Range. Pelagic. 



Cow-fish 



Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby) 



Length. 16 feet. 



Description. Similar to the preceding species, but the male with 



'9 



