394 DR. J. MURIE ON A DEFORMITY OF THE  [Apr. 11, 
herd’s crook-like bend to the left side. Its six posterior alveoli are 
normal in position ; the seven or eight anterior to these incline out- 
wards to the middle of the side, and the two most advanced of these 
last have a direction directly forwards, therefore quite in an opposite 
manner to their fellows of the left side. The remaining front alveoli 
of the right side, from being placed laterally, curve back almost to the 
vertical. 
The posterior sockets forwards to where the bend begins, as in the 
left half, are lined with spongy exostosis; but on the outer surface 
of the bend itself, the alveolar cavity becomes exceedingly shallow 
and superficial, and three sockets at this place are nearly obliterated ; 
what cavities remain are merely narrow lengthened slits. The next 
three alveoli anterior to the bend are all but filled with bony matter, 
and those still more in advance have a similar deposition, but in 
smaller quantity. 
The inner surface of the symphysis at the bend, as already noticed, 
is scooped out (fig. 2 6), and the wall of the bone at this part is worn 
to a mere shell; but forwards from this the bone is much more 
dense and solid. 
Hence from this it results, that besides the difference in the di- 
rection of the alveoli in the two halves of the jaw, they also differ in 
the right being hollowed and atrophied at the bend and normal in 
density at the anterior part of the symphysis ; while, on the other 
hand, the left side has its bend considerably hypertrophied, with the 
tip atrophied. 
Of such rather extraordinary conditions of the lower jaw Beale, 
as previously referred to, says :— 
* Besides blindness, this Whale is frequently subject to deformity 
of the lower jaw, two instances of which I have seen myself, in 
which the deformity was so great as to render it impossible for the 
animal to find the jaws useful in catching such fish, or even, one 
would have supposed, in deglutition ; yet these Whales possessed as 
much blubber and were as rich in oil as any of a similar size I have 
seen before or since. 
“Tn both these instances of crooked jaws the nutrition of the ani- 
mal appeared to be equally perfect ; but they were different, in one 
case the jaws being bent to the right side and rolled as it were like 
a scroll; in the other it was bent downwards, but also curved upon 
itself. 
“Tt would be interesting here to inquire into the cause of this 
deformity ; but whether it is the effect of disease or the consequence 
of accident I am unable to determine. 
‘* Old whalers affirm that it is caused by fighting. They state that 
the Sperm Whales rush head first one upon the other, their mouths 
at the same time wide open, their object appearing to be the seizing 
of their opponent by the lower jaw, for which purpose they fre- 
quently turn themselves on the side; in this manner they become 
as it were locked together, their jaws crossing each other, and in 
this manner they strive vehemently for the mastery. 
‘<T have never had the good fortune to witness one of these com- 
