144 



THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



The most frequent formula for mature individuals, or those above sixty feet, 

 appears to be II., 4 ; III, 6 ; IV., 5 ; V., 3. The Albany (New York) and Storno- 

 way (Scotland) specimens have this formula. The Gloucester (Massachusetts) 

 specimen is the same on the right side, except that the fifth finger has one less 

 phalanx. There is, therefore, no ground for the specific separation of American 

 and European specimens on the basis of the segmentation of the digits. 



PROPORTIONS OF THE SKELETON. 



The number of European skeletons of B. physalus of which there are detailed 

 measurements on record is not so large as one might expect, considering the numer- 

 ous instances in which specimens have stranded on that side of the Atlantic. Com- 

 panyo's Monographic Illustree is not accessible to me, but I have consulted the data 

 furnished by Flower, Murie, Sars, Van Beneden, Struthers, Malm, and others. Such 

 of the measurements of different specimens as are comparable are reduced to per- 

 centages of the length of the skull, and brought together in the following table, 

 with similar measurements of some American specimens, including the type of B. 

 tectirosh'is (Cope) : 



BALMHOPTERA PHYSALUS (L.). EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN. SKELETON. 



' Straight. 



2 7 inches are added for last 3 caudals, which are probably missing. 



3 5^ in. added for premaxillae. 



4 2d lumbar. 



6 Vert. No. 38. 



6 This is tl>e 38th vert. ; the 36th = 19.0 #. 

 1 This is the 38th vert. ; the 36th = 18 4 % 



8 Vert. No. 36. 



9 Broken. 



10 2^ inches added for olecranon. 



