72 MAMMALIA. 



Genus MESOPLODON, Gervais. 



This genus is now held to include the Belemnoziphus, Huxley, 

 and the species from the Eed Crag referred by Owen to Ziphius > 

 except Ziphius planus which belongs to the genus Choncziphius. 



Elongated cetacean vertebrae, agreeing in form with those 

 found in this genus, are met with in the Red Crag, and doubtless 

 belonged to some of the species, the rostra of which have been 

 recorded from that horizon. Mr. A. Savin, of Cromer, possesses 

 a similarly elongated vertebra from the " Forest Bed " near Cromer, 

 which is provisionally referred to this genus. 



A periotic bone in the Museum of Practical Geology, from the 

 Nodule-bed of the Red Crag of Woodbridge, has been identified 

 by Mr. Lydekker (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., Vol. XLIIL, p, 15, 

 1887) as belonging to this genus ; he provisionally includes it 

 with M. longirostris, and says : u The characteristic features of 

 the periotic of Mesoplodon are the production and pointed 

 extremity of the posterior portion, the comparatively small 

 vertical height of the longitudinal articular ridge on the tym- 

 panic aspect of the same, the small size and oval shape of the 

 accessory ossicle, and the deep transverse concavity of the 

 anterior articular facet for the tympanic." 



Prof. Prestwich (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., Vol. XXVII., p. 118, 

 1871) includes Belemnoziphius among the vertebrate remains, 

 found by Mr. Colchester, in the Nodule-bed below the Coralline 

 Crag, at Sutton. 



MESOPLODON LONGIROSTRIS, CUVIER. 

 PLATE VIII., FIG 7. 



In accordance with the work of Mr Lydekker (Quart. Journ. 

 Geol. Soc., Vol. XLIIL, p. 15, 1887, and Cat. Foss. Mamm. Brit. 

 Mus., Part v, p. 68, 1887) the following names are included in the 

 species M. longirostris, namely, Dioplodon Becanii, Gervais (Zool. 

 Pal. Fr., edit. 2, p. 290, pi. 38, f. 4, 1859, and Osteogr. Cetaces, 

 p. 420, 1880) ; Ziphius medilineatus, Owen (Pal. Soc., 1870, p. 22) ; 

 Dioplodon longirostris and D. medilineatus, Capellini (Mem. Ac. 

 Sci. inst. Bologna, Ser. 4, Vol. VI, pp. 294 and 298, 1885). 



The locality from which Cuvier's type rostrum was obtained is 

 not known, but specimens found in the Antwerp Crag and also in 

 the Nodule-bed of the Red Crag of Suffolk have been referred to 

 M. medilineatus, and are now included in this species. Portions 

 of rostra from the Pliocene of Italy have been described by Prof. 

 Capellini (loc. cit) and also referred to M. medilineatus. A small 

 periotic bone in the Museum of Practical Geology, from the Nodule- 

 bed of the Red Crag of Woodbridge, Mr. Lydekker thinks may 

 belong " to this or one of the equal-sized species." 



