1864.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON BRITISH CETACEA. 225 
Pterobalena gigas, Van Beneden, Mém. Acad. Roy. Sci. Brux. 
1861, xxxii. 37. 
Balenoptera boops, Yarrell, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1840, p. 11. 
Balenoptera tenuirostris, Sweeting, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1840, p. 342. 
Hab. North Sea. 
«A Whale was observed floating dead in the North Sea between 
Belgium and England,’ and towed into the harbour of Ostend on 
the 4th of November, 1827. The skeleton was exhibited at Charing 
Cross, and is now, I believe, in the United States. 
The specimen was 102 feet long, the lower jaw 21} feet long, and 
the fins 134 feet long. Vertebree 54. Ribs 14/14. 
The atlas (Dubar, t. 6. f.1): the second cervical vertebra with large 
lateral processes, pierced with a large hole; the third, fourth, and 
fifth with two lateral processes on each side, which are not formed 
into a complete ring as in the second; the fifth offers a rudiment of 
a spinal apophysis. The first rib double-headed, articulated to the 
first and second dorsal vertebree. Bones of the ears (Dubar, t. 5. f. 1); 
os hyoides (t. 5. f. 2); breast-bone (t. 6. f. 4) not pierced, short 
and broad, with a broad hinder portion. The vertebral column 37. 
Dubar’s figures represent the second, third, and fourth cervical ver- 
tebree as with a ring, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh with deflexed 
upper and straight lower separate lateral processes. Ribs, first (t. 8. 
f. 1) with two heads, very broad at lower end; second (f. 2) with 
rather elongate internal process; fourteenth (f. 3) quite simple. 
Pelvic bones (t. 9. f. 1, 2). Shoulderblade short and very broad 
on the external edge, with a large lobe for the ridge (t. 10). Pectoral 
fin and bones (t.11). Fingers four; the second and third nearly of 
equal length, and longest; the fourth or outer shorter, longer than 
the first or inner. 
Mr. Yarrell (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1840, p. 11) notices a female of 
this genus under the name of “ Balenoptera boops.” It was 
stranded at Charmouth, Dorsetshire, on Feb. 5, 1840. It had no 
warts about the lips; back black ; underside white ; pupil oval, with- 
out any eyelashes. Length 41 feet. Pectoral fin 5} feet long, 
base 102 from tip of nose, and 13 foot wide. Dorsal small, conical, 
11 feet in advance of the tail. Skeleton 40 feet long, head 10 feet. 
Vertebrze 60, viz. 7 cervical, 15 dorsal, 16 lumbar, 15 caudal, and 
with 7 caudal bones. Ribs 14/14; the first double-headed, and at- 
tached to the first two vertebree ; each of the other ribs is attached 
to a single vertebra, and hasa single head. The dorsal vertebra ex- 
ceed the ribs by one. ‘* The subcutaneous layers of fat varied in 
thickness from 3 to 5 inches.” In other details the skeleton agreed 
with Dewhurst’s description of the ‘Ostend Whale.” 
** Head, back, tail, and outside of the pectoral fins black ; inside 
of the pectoral fins, throat, breast, and belly beautiful white; inside 
of the under jaw black; tongue, palate, and the spaces intervening 
between the reefs on the belly pink. The under jaw the widest, and 
projecting 9 inches beyond the upper one ; end of both jaws rounded. 
The muzzle longer and more attenuated than in Balena. The spi- 
racles longitudinal, like slits or fissures, nearly meeting in front, and 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1864, No. XV. 
