LITTLE PIKED WHALE. 271 



The cervical vertebrae are practically free, though in some individuals fusion of the spines 

 or the lateral processes takes place. Thus in the Massachusetts skeleton described by True 

 (1904, p. 200) the neural arch of the third cervical is fused to the spine of the axis, and the 

 same is true of the skeleton from Cape Cod (no. 7980) in the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 

 The vertebral formulae of the three Massachusetts skeletons are 



No. 



U. S. N. M. 20931 

 M. C. /. 7980 

 M.C.Z. 8832 



In the last skeleton one or possibly two terminal vertebrae are to be added as the 47th 

 though small is clearly not the last. 



The "number of chevron bones in European specimens," says True (1904, p. 201), "is 

 usually nine, but sometimes eight. The number in the Massachusetts specimen [from Har- 

 wichport, U. S. N. M. 20931] is nine." Eight are preserved with skeleton 8832 in the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology, probably from Massachusetts Bay. I believe that this number does 

 not represent the true count. In the Cape Cod specimen (M. C. Z. 7980) I dissected these out 

 with great care, and found nine V-shaped bones, as commonly recorded, but succeeding these, 

 in the corresponding places between each two vertebrae, were four other chevrons consisting 

 of small paired plates that had not united to form Vs. The three last pairs were mostly 

 cartilaginous, and so small as readily to escape notice, yet was their nature unmistakable. 

 The total number of chevrons should thus be reckoned as thirteen in this specimen and no doubt 

 four (or five) should be added in all cases where but nine (or eight) are recorded. 



Eibs. Eleven pairs of ribs is the normal number in this species and so far as I know, 

 there have been no variations from this number recorded. 



Sternum. The sternum is commonly cross-shaped, with a longer 'handle' than in the 

 other species of the genus. There appears to be slight variation in the outline of this bone, 

 however, chiefly in the degree to which the arms of the cross are developed. The sternum 

 figured by Carte and Macalister seems almost an oval. In the retention of a long posterior 

 arm, the sternum of this whale is perhaps to be considered less reduced and so not so specialized, 

 as compared with other large Balaenidae and Balaenopteridae. 



Scapula. In general the outline is much like that of the other members of the genus, 

 but with the posterior border of the curve bending rather more sharply downward. Both 

 acromion and coracoid are strongly developed. True has shown that the proportionate 

 breadth of the scapula increases with age. 



Hand. The phalangeal bones of the 1910 Provincetown specimen (now in M. C. Z.) 

 I dissected out with great care on one side and found them to be: I 4, II 8, IV 7, V 3. The 

 Harwichport, Mass., skeleton at Washington is incomplete in respect to these bones. True 



