PREFACE. Vll 



of the preparations made by Professor John Goodsir have 

 been taken from a manviscript catalogue written under his 

 supervision. In drawing up the description of those added 

 by myself I have, as with the bones, made use of my printed 

 papers and of notes not previously published. 



In selecting from the extensive literature of the subject 

 generic and specific names for the Cetacea, Sir Wm. H. 

 Flower's Catalogue of the specimens in the British Museum, 

 1885, has been taken as the guide. His classification of all 

 the Baleen Whales in a single family Balsenidae has not, 

 however, been adopted, as the structural characters which 

 collectively distinguish the Right Whales from the Rorquals 

 are so numerous and important as to justify a division into 

 the two families Balsenidse and Balsenopteridaj. 



In the classification of the Pinnipedia the generic and 

 specific divisions adopted in my CJiallenger Report, 1887, on 

 these mammals have been followed in the Catalogue. 



The description of the specimens in each part, for each 

 family, genus, and species respectively, has been preceded 

 by a brief statement of the distinguishing characters, so 

 that the Catalogue can be used by the student as a hand- 

 book or guide in discriminating the families, genera, and 

 species to which they belong. 



The illustrations are in some cases from the blocks em- 

 ployed in my published memoirs referred to in the text, but 

 the majority have been specially prepared for the Catalogue, 

 either from photographs or from original drawings of the 

 objects. I wish particularly to thank Mr Ernest J. Henderson, 

 the Assistant Conservator, for many photographs, especially 

 those of the skeletons suspended in the Museum reproduced 

 in Plates I., V,, VI., and for the help which he has given in 

 making the measurements detailed in the Catalogue. To Mr 

 James T. Murray I am indebted for many careful drawings, 

 more especially of the series of tympanic bones, which will 

 be of service in the study of their modifications in form in the 



