1865.] LOWER JAW IN THE CACHALOT. 395 
bats; but if it be the fact that such take place, we need not wonder 
at seeing so many deformed jaws in this kind of Whale, for we can 
easily suppose the enormous force exerted on these occasions, taking 
into consideration at the same time the comparative slenderness of 
the jaw in this animal. Some corroboration of the above statement 
arises from the fact, as far as my knowledge extends, that the female 
is never seen affected with this deformity.” 
From this it seems Mr. Beale is in doubt whether the deformity 
arises from disease or is the effect of accidental injury, almost incli- 
ning, however, to refer it to the latter; but this is, in a great mea- 
sure, founded on hearsay evidence. 
Without entering into the question of the nature or in what manner 
*the food is obtained by these deformed Cachalots, if we inquire 
what, most likely, has given rise to the jaws assuming their curious 
shape, in the absence of definite information we must take into con- 
sideration the condition of the bones themselves. This leads us to 
assign it to one of the three following causes :—first, congenital mal- 
formation ; secondly, direct accidental injury ; and thirdly, disease. 
With reference to the first of these causes, I believe we are justi- 
fied in concluding it not to be a congenital condition, as the consist- 
ency of the osseous tissue in the specimens does not present such 
characters as would indicate that while in the foetal state, or in the 
after young stage of the animal, the bone had suffered from softening 
disease, such as rachitis ; thus inherent defect or malnutrition in the 
constituents of the bony particles themselves is not observable. 
Again, in the mere deviation of form there would not necessarily be 
such coexistent and extensive marks of recent inflammatory action ; 
for the deformed parts at a very early age would have accommodated 
themselves to their anomalous position. 
As regards the second cause, we are enabled to state with certainty 
that there is no trace of direct fracture of the bones ; so that in what- 
ever manner the turn or curve has been produced, it eviftently has 
not taken place by a single, sudden, sharp twist of the jaw into its 
present position, as might be inferred from what Mr. Beale tells of 
the manner these Whales are said to fight. 
From these reasons, therefore, the third cause would seem to be 
the most probable one, although it is difficult to prove, from the 
paucity of specimens, that disease of the bone has undeniably been 
the originating cause ; for it is not unlikely that some sudden shock 
or slight injury may have excited or accelerated the disease, as well 
as that it should have arisen from pure inherent pathological con- 
ditions. 
At all events the state of the bones themselves demonstrates, and 
this most clearly in the last-described specimen, that they have 
undergone a long-continued process of inflammation (os¢itis), which 
has given rise to their becoming condensed and indurated in texture 
at one place, while in another there has been a corresponding rare- 
faction, the hypertrophied bone of the left side seemingly having 
slowly increased and worn the large hollow for itself, which it occu- 
pies in the right ramus, as this last, subjected to the continued pres- 
