Occurrence of the Bottle-Nosed or Beaked Whale. 



41 



symphysis, no other sacs were seen; but behind the symphysis 

 there were found in the substance of the gum on each side 

 rudimentary calcified denticles, six in number on the right 

 side and four on the left. Each denticle was about a quarter 

 of an inch long, and had a simple conical form. These rudi- 

 mentary teeth were separated by intervals of three quarters 

 of an inch. Each tooth lay horizontally or obliquely in the 

 gum, and was surrounded by an ill-defined sac, to the wall 

 of which it was partially adherent. The symphysial part of 

 the lower jaw was covered by a smooth mucous membrane; 

 but where it became continuous with the gum it was faintly 

 roughened with minute papillae. 



A distinct groove marked the junction of the palate and 

 the upper lip. At the posterior end of this groove, on each 

 side, a rudimentary pointed tooth 

 about a quarter of an inch long 

 projected through the mucous 

 membrane into the mouth, and was 

 so loosely attached to the gum as 

 to be movable to and fro. Five 

 additional and similar teeth were 

 situated on each side, in antero- 

 posterior series, in front of the one 

 just described ; but they were con- 

 cealed in the gum, which had to be 

 partially removed in order to expose 

 them, their depth from the surface 

 increasing from behind forwards. 

 The most anterior of these denticles 

 was 12 inches behind the anterior 

 end of the upper lip. But, further, 

 on dissecting the gum which covered 

 the left side of the upper jaw at its 

 anterior end, a tooth sac three-six- 

 teenths of an inch in diameter was 

 exposed, which was filled by a den- 

 ticle slightly calcified on the surface, 

 but soft within ; but there was none 

 on the right side. Dissections of 



Fig. 4. 

 Portion of the gum of tlae 

 left half of the upper jaw. 

 L, lip ; D, deutary groove, in 

 which four calcified denticles 

 have been exj)osed by dissec- 

 tion. The denticle marked x 

 projected through the gum into 

 the cavity of the mouth. 



