32 



The metacarpal bones, wliieli are mucli compressed, and 

 scarcely to be distiuguislied from the phalangeal, are in number, 

 five being to all appearance the first joints of their several digits. 

 That of the thumb is more dilated at the carpal end ; while the 

 largest is that of the middle finger, and measures four inches in 

 length, and three in breadth, — but I give the following as their 

 general dimensions. 



Metacarpal bone of thumb, length 



,, breadth at base 

 Ditto of forefinger, length 



,, breadth at base 

 Ditto of middle finger, length 



, , breadth at base 

 Ditto of fourth finger, length 



,, breadth at base 



Ditto of little finger, length 



breadth at base 



The phalanges gradually diminish towards the points of the 

 fingers : 



The thumb containing 2 bones, and a third jihalanx of cartilage 



The index finger 5 bones 



The middle finger 5 bones 



The fourth finger 3 and a fourth phalanx of cartilage 



The little finger 3 bones 



OF THE PELVIS. 



The pelvis, as I mentioned before, was not recovered from the 

 whale of which the skeleton is set up. It is a skeleton, however, 

 entire, except in this respect. I obtained afterwards from the 

 other carcass on the opeu beach at Botany, although it was in an 

 advanced state of decomposition, the greater part of those soft 



