182 Dr. C. Liilken 07i some Odonioceti of 



the head with the body of the vertebra ; all the rest have only 

 the first of these articulations, for the simple reason that they 

 have neither neck nor head. I now find in a good-sized 

 T. tursio that the sixth rib has also this double articulation ; 

 and if in a T. tursio of medium size I have already observed 

 an intermediate phase, that is to say, a neck in course of for- 

 mation but without the head and too short to reach the body 

 of the corresponding vertebra, I see with satisfaction that ail 

 is regular, for the enigma resolves itself quite simply into a 

 gradual and rather slow ossification of the tendinous ligament 

 which, in the sixth rib, takes the place of the neck. But, for 

 this very reason, my surprise is the greater when, in a still 

 larger skeleton, 1 find only five pairs oi' completely developed 

 ribs, without any traces of head or neck on the sixth pair. 



Being thus rendered doubtful with regard to all those cha- 

 racters which, at the first glance, seemed to be of importance, 

 and having lost nearly all hope of discovering one which 

 could serve me for the small form, whose right to constitute a 

 species I am seeking to establish, I proceed in the last place 

 to the comparison of the limbs, although prepared beforehand 

 to obtain only a negative result, as 1 know very well that the 

 number of phalanges in the digits is very variable in these 

 animals, and that for a perfectly analogous reason, namely, 

 that the ossification of the extreme phalanges only takes place 

 at a late period, and is consequently irregular. But while 

 the number of joints in T. tursio is pretty nearly as follows : — 

 1-2, 7-9, 6-7, 2-3, 1-2, so that the second digit is always 

 the longest, and the one that has the most joints, I find here 

 that this number in T. parvimanus is : — 2, 6, 8, 3, 1, or, in 

 other words, it is the third digit that is the longest and com- 

 posed of the most joints, and at once it is placed beyond doubt 

 that this form is a species distinct from T. tursio^. 



As to whether it may be identified with ,the other little- 

 known and doubtful species of the genus Tursiops (such as 

 T. catalania) is a secondary question, which, moreover, can- 



* Its diagnosis is as follows : — Ttirsiops parvimanus (Reinhardt) : 



25 



Minor, dentibus ^, minoribus, gracilioribus (diametro antero-posteriore 

 G mill.), vertebris 62, costis 13 paribus, quorum anteriora sex articula- 

 lione duplici cum vertebris coujuncta sunt ; yertebrse caudales inde ab 

 43tia canali verticali utrinque ad basin processus transversi perforatse ; 

 pinna3 pectorales miuuttB, octavam partem lougitudinis totius parumper 

 superautes, digito tertio longiore, octo-articulato, secundo breviore sex- 

 articulato. Caput, dorsum et pinnae nigrescentes, venter griseo-albus. 

 Longitudo pedes sex paullo superat. (In mari Adriatico semel inventus, 

 t'orsau seepius cum T. tursionibtts junioribus confusus, vel crania sub 

 uomine 2\ catulanid! vel T. ri/nwdorce descripta ?) 



