^84 Prof. Eschricht on the Gangetic Dolphin. 



as in the Whitefish and Hyperoodon. Finally, the short, broad, 

 shawl-formed breast-fins approach perhaps nearest those of the 

 Whitefish and the Narwhale. 



The bony structure of the Gangetic dolphin approaches, then, 

 as regards the head nearest to the Hyperoodons, in regard to the 

 rest of the skeleton nearest to the Whitefish. It now only re- 

 mains to determine the similarity or dissimilarity of its outer 

 forms, as compared with other Cetacea. From what has been 

 said in the first part of this memoir, respecting the published 

 figures, it is obvious, that we cannot be said to have possessed 

 hitherto a faithful and clear representation of the Gangetic dol- 

 phin ; and in this view M. Reinhardt's scientific claims are de- 

 servedly as great, as his merits in osteological respects, by having 

 prepared and preserved so perfect a skeleton of the Gangetic 

 dolphin as to meet all the demands of the science. The figure 

 executed by M. Thornam, under his direction, from the recently 

 caught animal, has been rendered with great fidelity in PL V. 

 fig. 1. I will here give M. Reinhardt's own measurements and 

 notes as part of the external description of the animal : — 



" Total length 5' 2" 0'" 



Length from end of snout to the eye 10 6 



Length from end of snout to the ear 13 6 



Length from end of snout to anterior angle of base of the fin 3 



Length of the rostrum of upper jaw 8 6 



Expanded wings of tail 13 



Round the body over the sexual organ 2 11 



" The eye extraordinarily small ; in diameter only 1^'". The ear 

 situated inconsiderably above the eye. The spiracle a simple 

 longitudinal fissure, measuring 1" 9^"' ; its anterior end exactly 

 in a vertical line above the eye. Female sexual organ about 2" 

 long, showing nothing remarkable in its form, nor in the 

 furrows, in which the papillae are situated. The tongue exceed- 

 ingly short, adnate in its whole circumference, and reaching 

 only as far as the point, where the upper jaw contracts itself into 

 the narrow rostrum. The body enveloped in a thick layer of 

 fat, measuring li" where thickest. Colour on the back dark 

 lead-gray ; under the belly somewhat lighter, though not much. 

 This was the appearance for a short time only after the animal 

 had been taken out of the water ; after the epidermis had dried, 

 the colour became lighter throughout.'^ 



The peculiarly favourable opportunity, the skill of the drafts- 

 man, but above all the great experience of the naturalist, suffi- 

 ciently guarantee the correctness of the representation and its 

 accompanying description ; but the exactness of the drawing is 

 still further corroborated by the close correspondence of its pro- 



