132 DR. J. E. GRAY ON NEW-ZEALAND WHALES. [Jail. 21, 



vertebrae are furnished with a superior lateral process, that of the 

 first and second being free at the base and united at the end, that of 

 the first very large, compressed, and truncated at the end ; that 

 of the second large, thick, and united to the upper part of the back 

 of the process of the first. The upper lateral processes of the third 

 to the seventh compressed, slender, and free, the third being free 

 halfway up the crest, and others more or less free to the crest itself. 

 The lower process of the atlas or first entirely wanting ; that of the 

 second large, thick, but compressed and truncated at the end, but 

 probably, in process of growth, about as prominent as the upper pro- 

 cess of the first. The lower process of the third well developed, 

 elongate, straight, much compressed and truncated at the end, about 

 one inch shorter than the large process of the second. The bodies 

 of the fourth to the seventh vertebrae without any indications of 

 inferior lateral processes. The bodies of the third to the seventh 

 vertebrae very thin, not much more than half the thickness of that of 

 the first dorsal vertebra, which is anchylosed to the last cervical 

 vertebra ; and its neural arch and upper lateral process, which is 

 similar in form to that of the last cervical vertebra, but much thicker 

 and stronger, are entirely free. The articulating surface of this ver- 

 tebra is nearly circular, being only a little wider than high. The 

 front of the neural canal is nearly circular, but rather depressed — that 

 is, a little wider than high, but regularly rounded. The canal at the 

 hinder end of the vertebral mass is larger, rounded, but with a rather 

 triangular top, and a little wider than high. (See fig. 2, p. 138.) 



The vertebrae are seven cervical and forty-seven dorsal and caudal. 

 The body of the first dorsal vertebra is anchylosed with the body 

 of the seventh cervical ; and there may be one or more last caudal 

 vertebrae wanting. This number is much smaller than that of the 

 old and young Eubalcena australis figured by M. van Beneden (Ost. 

 Cet. t. i. & ii.), which have 16 dorsal and 37 caudal vertebrae — in all, 

 53. With regard to number it more nearly agrees with those of the 

 great Northern Whale {Balcena mysticetus, Eschricht, Om Nord- 

 hwallen, t. ii.), where the figure of the adult male 48 feet long has 

 49 vertebrae. 



The first rib has a siugle head, and is wider at the sternal end. 



The sternum is oblong, rather irregular in shape and thickness, being 

 thicker on one side fhan on the other, very spongy, or, rather, full of 

 cylindrical tubular cavities. There are three convex cylindrical promi- 

 nences of nearly equal size, placed without any apparent order on its 

 thick margin. It is rather curved ; the upper surface is flat, but the 

 lower one is rather distorted by the unequal thickness of the bone. 

 It is 6£ inches long, and about 5 inches wide. (See fig. 3, p. 139.) 



The scapula is triangular, with a rounded end, rather broader than 

 long — that is to say, 25 inches long and 27 inches broad at the 

 wider end. The front margin has a broad compressed acromion 

 process, which is bent towards the articulating surface and acute at 

 the end, with a large arched outline which occupies about half the 

 front margin. The disk of the outer surface is concave, with a large 

 concavity in the middle of the upper half. The inner surface is nearly 



