THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 131 



of 1901, the orifice between the lids was 4 in. long, the iris 2 in. in diameter 

 longitudinally and 1J in. vertically; pupil If in. by in. 



The iris is brown, with a white border narrow and irregular. The pupil is 

 elliptical, with the long axis fore and aft. 



OSTEOLOGY. 



The osteological characters of B. physalus have been abundantly described by 

 European authors, and especially by Eschricht, Van Beneden, Flower, Struthers, 

 and Turner. The skull and other parts of the skeleton have been figured several 

 times by Van Beneden and Gervais, Eschricht, and others. The American speci- 

 mens allied to B. physalus which have fallen under my notice are the type of B. 

 tectirostris (Cope), two skeletons in the U. S. National Museum, one in the State 

 Museum, Albany, N. Y., one at Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Rochester, 

 N. Y., one in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, and one 

 in the museum of the Boston Society of Natural History. The last was described 

 by Dwight in 1872. The species was characterized by Flower in 1864 (45, 392) 

 as follows : 



"Total number of vertebrae 61-64. Ribs 15 pairs. Orbital process of frontal 

 bone considerably narrowed at its outer end. Nasal bones short, broad, deeply 

 hollowed on their superior surface and anterior border. Rami of the lower jaw 

 massive, with a very considerable curve, and a high, pointed, curved coronoid pro- 

 cess. Neural arches of the cervical vertebrae low ; spinous processes very slightly 

 developed. Transverse process of the atlas arising from the upper half of the side 

 of the body, long, tapering, conical, pointed directly outwards. Upper and lower 

 transverse processes, from the second to the sixth vertebra, well developed, broad, 

 flat (and united at the ends in the adult, forming complete rings?). Head of the 

 first rib simple, articulating with the transverse process of the first dorsal vertebra. 

 Second, third, and sometimes the fourth ribs with capitular processes, reaching 

 nearly to the bodies of the vertebrae. Sternum broader than long, in the form of a 

 short, broad cross, of which the posterior arm is very narrow; it might perhaps be 

 compared to the heraldic trefoil ; it is subject, however, to considerable individual 

 modifications." 



SKULL. 



There appears to be no entirely satisfactory drawing of the skull of an Euro- 

 pean specimen of B. pTiysalus. Lacepede's figure from the St. Marguerite Id. 

 specimen (Hist. Nat. Cet., 12, 1, pi. 6) is quite imperfect and indistinct. Cuvier's 

 figure from the same specimen (Oss. jFoss., 3d ed., 5, pi. 26, fig. 5) is better, but the 

 muzzle is obviously too sharp. Eschricht's figure (Nordhvalen, pi. 3, fig. 3) is still 

 better, and in many respects very satisfactory, but the frontals appear to be too 

 narrow distally and the occipital region is too short. Van Beneden and Gervais's 

 figure (5, pi. 12, fig. 12) is in many respects an improvement on Eschricht's, but 

 the perspective and detail of the posterior portion leave much to be desired. 

 Sars's figure (77, pi. 3, figs. 1-2) of an adult skull in the Christiania Museum 

 is on the whole the best. 



Better than all these hand-drawings is the set of photographs of the Danzig 

 specimen published by Menge (69, photos.). Menge was under the impression 



