414 MR. W. H. FLOWER ON THE SKELETONS OF WHALES [Nov. 8, 
with the additional two caudal vertebrz, the wide maxillaries, the 
more elongated metacarpals, and the slight differences in the form 
of the cervical vertebree and the ribs are sufficient to establish a 
well-marked species ; and, unless it can be identified with any that 
has been previously described, I would suggest the name of latirostris 
as an appropriate designation. 
In the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp is a very fine articulated 
skeleton of a male Common Fin- Whale (Physalus antiquorum, Gray), 
of which, with the courteous assistance of M. Vekemans, the Assistant 
Director of the establishment, I made a careful examination. The 
specimen has already been the subject of a paper by Professor Van 
Beneden, entitled “Sur une Baleine prise prés de Vile Vlieland, et 
dont le squelette est monté au Jardin Royal de Zoologie d’ Anvers’”’ 
(Bull. Acad. Bruxelles, 2° sér. tome i. 1857, p. 390). 
The skeleton is complete, with the exception of one of the pelvic 
bones, the tympanic bones, the last pair of ribs (probably), and 
one or two caudal vertebree. As at present mounted, the interver- 
tebral spaces appear to me too wide, especially in the cervical and 
caudal regions ; and yet the skeleton measures in a straight line but 
67! 6", viz. 15! 4" for the skull and 52! 2! for the vertebral column. 
The length of the animal is given by Van Beneden at 22 metres, or 
72' 1". It exhibits all the signs of adult though not extreme age. 
All the epiphyses of the vertebrae are completely joined, as well as 
those of the humerus and the upper end of the radius and ulna. 
Those of the lower end of the last two bones are partially united. 
The upper border of the scapula is still incomplete towards the two 
extremities. The number of vertebre is sixty-one, the last being 
modelled in wood ; but from the character of the sixtieth I should 
say that there ought to be two behind it. Seven are cervical and 
fifteen dorsal, and, according to Van Beneden, fourteen or fifteen 
lumbar, though the place of attachment of the first chevron bone in 
the skeleton indicates but thirteen as belonging to this series. The 
characters of the atlas and the other cervical vertebrz are quite 
typical of the species; the upper and lower transverse processes, 
from the second to the sixth inclusive, are united to form complete 
rings. The breadth of the atlas is 25"; of the axis 44"; of the 
third 37". The aperture in the base of the great wing-like lateral 
process of the axis is 63! long and 3" deep. The inferior process 
of the seventh is represented by a tubercle. 
The cranium and lower jaw present little worthy of special notice, 
except that the articular processes of the squamosals are unusually 
developed laterally, giving great breadth to the posterior part of the 
head. The dimensions are given at p.411. A circumstance that I 
have not observed in any other Whalebone Whale is that a consider- 
able mass of bone of irregular form projects forwards from below 
the nasal bones in the trough of the vomer, to the extent of about 
two feet, only attached posteriorly. This is evidently an ossification 
developed in the ethmoidal cartilage. 
There are fourteen pairs of ribs present ; but as the fourteenth has 
not the characters usually met with in the last rib, and as the fifteenth 
