384 MR.W. H. FLOWER ON THE SKELETONS OF WHALES [Nov. 8, 
1. NorEs ON THE SKELETONS OF WHALES IN THE PRINCIPAL 
Museums or HoLuaANnpD AND BetGium, with DEscRIPTIONS 
oF Two SPECIES APPARENTLY NEW TO SCIENCE. By WIL- 
L1AM Henry Fuiower, F.R.S., F.R.C.S., Conservator OF 
THE Museum oF THE RoyaL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. 
Having had an opportunity during the autumn of examining per- 
sonally the extensive collections of skeletons of Cetacea contained in 
several public and private museums in the Netherlands, I have put 
together some notes, chiefly with reference to the Balenoidea or 
Whalebone Whales. I trust that they may be of interest to students 
of this branch of zoology, as affording an indication of the localities 
in which the different specimens are to be found, and also as a contri- 
bution towards elucidating the difficult subject of the specific and 
generic characters of these animals, more especially of the subfamily 
Balenopterine, or Fin- Whales. 
Before proceeding further I am glad to avail myself of this oppor- 
tunity of expressing my thanks to the directors of the various mu- 
seums which I visited, and especially to Professor Schlegel of Leyden, 
Professor Van Beneden of Louvain, and M. le Vicomte Du Bus of 
Brussels, not only for their liberality in giving me unrestricted access 
to the treasures under their care, but also for numerous personal 
acts of kindness during my stay in their respective cities. 
Certain general observations that have occurred to me during the 
examination of the osseous remains of Cetacean animals will form a 
necessary prefix to the special notes, in order to give an idea of the 
means employed in arriving at conclusions in reference to the specific 
distinction or identity of different individuals. These will be followed 
by some remarks upon the classification and nomenclature employed 
in speaking of the various species of Whales. 
The alterations which take place in the bones at different periods 
of life render it an object of primary importance in investigating the 
skeletons of Cetacea, to ascertain as near as may be the relative age 
of the individual under examination. Unless this is carefully re- 
corded, the description cannot be considered as complete. For this 
purpose the condition of the osseous tissue generally, the development 
of the various apophyses, especially those of the vertebree, the state of 
the sutures of the cranium, and of the epiphyses of the vertebral co- 
lumn and of the bones of the pectoral limb afford the best indications. 
In the early periods of life the bones have a peculiarly fibrous or 
spongy texture, and the apophyses, especially the spines and trans- 
verse processes of the vertebree, are obviously unfinished, being ab- 
ruptly and roughly truncated. Even to a comparatively late period 
portions of the cartilaginous skeleton, as the ends of the transverse 
processes of the cervical vertebrae, the olecranon, and the upper 
border of the scapula, remain unossified ; and the peculiar appearance 
presented by the surface of the bone in this condition is such that 
it cannot be mistaken by the careful observer. This applies of course 
to macerated skeletons ; for, as Eschricht has demonstrated, the form 
of each bone of the adult skeleton is defined at a very early stage of 
