186 Mi'scellaneoKs. 



On the Bermuda Hnmphaclced Whale of Dudleji (Baltena nodosa, 

 Bonnaterre, Megaptera americana, Gray, and Megaptera bel- 

 licosa, Cope). By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. «S:c. 



In the ' Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc.,' October 1870, Mr. Cope describes 

 the skeleton of a humpbacked whale as Megaptera beUico'sa, sent 

 from St. Bartholomew, West Indies, to Philadelphia, and figures the 

 upper part of the skull and various parts of the skeleton. It agrees 

 with the northern Megaptera long'imana in having a scapula without 

 any processes ; but differs in the form of the atlas vertebra, the 

 nasals, and other parts of the skeleton. It is evidently a very 

 distinct species. 



The American whalers are now iu the habit of catching hump- 

 backed whales oif the coast of San Domingo and in other parts of 

 the Caribbean seas. " Dr. A. Goes, of St. Bartholomew, says that the 

 whales appear about the island of St. Bartholomew about the 

 beginning of March, or even in February, and remain until the end 

 of May. In April and May it is said that they are seen in pairs 

 standing vertically in the water. When they return they often come 

 in a family of three, male, female, and young (the calf one or two 

 years old). The bull is wild and more difficult to take than the 

 female, and he has on two occasions smashed the boat of his pursuers 

 to pieces. In June they are said to go further into the Mexican 

 Gulf, and return eastward in the autumn ; but they do not appear 

 among the smaller Antilles at that time. Dr. Goes supposes that 

 they x^^'Ss the Straits of Florida, or follow the shores of the 

 south main. He says that the whalers think they pass the 

 middle of winter on the African coast ; but this will require con- 

 firmation." 



This whale is no doubt the same as the " Bunch or Humpbacked 

 Whale " of Dudley (noticed, with an account of the method of taking 

 it, in the 'Philosophical Transactions' for 1665), from Bermuda 

 (where it lives from March to the end of May), on which Bonnaterre 

 established Balcena nodosa, and is the Megaptera americana of 

 Gray, ' Zool. Erebus and Terror,' pp. 17 & 52, of which Megaptera 

 belUcosa, Cope, wiU be a synonym. 



By a curious perversity Mr. Cope refers to the Bahia finner, but 

 makes no reference to or comparison with the Bermuda humpback, 

 though Dudley and Dr. Goes say that tlioy inhabit the Caribbean 

 seas at the same period of the year. 



On some recent Remarks hg Mr. Meldola* upon Iphiclides Ajax 

 (Papilio Ajax aucf.). By Mr. S. H. ScuDnrj;. 



These remarks were made in connexion with investigations " on 

 the amount of substance-waste undergone by insects in tlie pupdl 



* Ann. & Mno-. Xnt. Hist. xii. pp. .'!01--.".07 (Oct. li??:!). 



