396 DR. J. MURIF ON THE CacHALOT. —___‘[Apr. 11, 
sure, has evidently been atrophied to such an extent that little more 
than a mere shell of bone is left at the bend. 
Inflammation of the periosteum (periostitis) has likewise occurred, 
as may be inferred from the appearance and consistence of the spongy 
bone thrown out on the surface. The gums, sockets of the teeth, 
and the large nerves sent to the long jaw have also been more or less 
severely implicated ; and the manner in which the occlusion of the 
alveoli has taken place, together with, at one place, the apparent 
gradual diminution of the vascular supply by the regular channels 
from pressure upon the vessels, all point out that no sudden bend 
has been the means of producing the deformity, or that it has been 
an original foetal malformation. 
On the whole, then, I would be inclined to account for the distor- 
tion of these jaws by supposing that when the creature was yet very 
young, its bones more or less soft or cartilaginous, a state of chronic 
inflammation had been set up in the bones and periosteum just at 
the bend, either inherently in the substance or from the effects of a 
concussion. The inflammatory process, continuing for a lengthened 
period, would give rise to enlargement and induration of the osseous 
tissue at the point mentioned, and according to the amount of local 
irritation and fresh deposition of osseous tissue would the abnormal 
curve of the bone be produced. The manner in which inflammation 
of the hoof in Ruminants occasionally causes it to curl upwards may 
be taken as a familar example; only in the case of the jaws of the 
Cachalot the increase of growth and swerving of the bone from its 
usual direction would be effected by the hypertrophy of the one side 
pressing against and being reflected from its fellow, which it at the 
same time would drag along with it, while the increase and corre- 
sponding diminution of substance at the different points would pro- 
duce the twist upon itself which each ramus possesses. 
P.S. Since the above was written, Mr. Flower has informed me 
that he has seen a lower jaw of a small Cachalot distorted in a 
manner similar to those above described, though less curved. The 
specimen is in the Museum of the Literary and Philosophical Society 
of Hull. Along with the two instances recorded by Mr. Beale, this 
would make a total of six authenticated cases of deformity, and 
four, at least, of these occur in animals not full grown, but whe- 
ther males or females is uncertain, excepting the British Museum 
specimen, which may be considered a female. For I find, according 
to Professor Owen (Odontography, pp. 353, 354), that in this spe- 
cies of Cetacean the difference of sex is easily distinguishable by the 
lower jaws alone, the male having twenty-seven, while the female 
has only twenty-three, teeth in each ramus, and the size of the jaws 
in the latter is also a third shorter. The fact of one specimen, 
therefore, being a female would invalidate Mr. Beale’s corroboration 
of this deformity only taking place in the fighting males. 
