MR. W. H. FLOWER ON THE OSTEOLOGY OF THE SPERM-WHALE. 327 
roughened by numerous concentrically placed ridges. This arrangement is found 
throughout the whole vertebral column, as far as the epiphyses are separable, on both 
anterior and posterior surfaces. In the caudal region, the internal thickened area of 
the epiphysis is more centrally placed, and occupies a larger relative area, its diameter 
being three-sevenths of that of the whole centrum. 
In a Hyperoodon of about corresponding age, when the epiphysis is removed from 
the centrum the ridges and grooves of the exposed surface radiate from a central point 
to the circumference, without any such depressed tuberculated area. 
As mentioned before, the entire number of vertebre is fifty, of which, according to 
the usual method of division, seven may be reckoned as cervical, eleven dorsal, eight 
lumbar, and twenty-four caudal. In this enumeration the vertebra that bears the 
rudimentary last pair of ribs is counted among the dorsal (although in many characters 
it approaches one of the lumbar series), and the caudal vertebrae commence with the 
one that bears at its hinder end the first pair of chevron bones *. Placed in series with 
their bodies in contact, the vertebrae measure 30’ 4”,—the seven cervical being I’, the 
eleven dorsal 6’ 8”, the eight lumbar 7’ 6”, the twelve anterior caudal 11’ 8”, and the 
twelve posterior caudal 3’ 6”. 
The following Table gives the weights of all the vertebra, as well as the length of 
the body, the greatest width (measured between the extremities of the transverse pro- 
cesses), and the greatest vertical height (from the summit of the spinous process to the 
most depending part of the body). Corresponding measurements are given of the 
vertebree of the Caithness and the Yorkshire specimen, as far as circumstances would 
permit :— 
TasMANIAN SKELETON. | Carruness SKELETON, | YORKSHTRE SKELETON, 
| | | 
Weight. | Tenet Extreme Extreme | peneth Extreme| Extreme Teneth xtremo|Extzerne| 
: | body. breadth.| height. Badge breadth. | height. || body: breadth. | height. 
Tbs. .0z, || in. in. in. in. in, in in. in. in. 
Hs iiCenviGall rave terse... vies 51 0. || 6 373 | 184 62 36 213 64 40 17 
2nd—7th cervical (united) } 68 01! 54 32 223 9 363 | 24 9 353 3 
feo i { | 22 | 963 | 213 | 5 | 28° | 292] 42 | 97 
PMN gs. Pe cicsea tala aro eerste |29 0 || 54 253 | 22 6 242 | 232 54 25 
abies hice s- Jew Syne |29 0° 7 «| 93% | 24 63 | 234 | 26 || 6 25 
ANNs ieee ORR Oe a, [e250 |) 62 al 218 | 25 62 224 28 62 24 
sale oe aie ae 30 0 || 6 | 213 | 253 | 7° | 293] 983] eg | 93 
Gili Gam biacwnse tid eds bre tts 31 0 63 203 | 263 74 21 282 64 <2 
LUM ese nererstotere cries 31 8 1% 193 | 263 74 202 | 29 62 
SEER o> Jae SD ng RE I 32 8 73 193 | 263 tz 20 29 7 
SL eerie a Aceie coke 31 0 83 19 262 8 223) 30 (fs se 
OTE ER feel aie ates m artieyace 34 0 83 233 | 28 83 274 | 313 8 263 | 
LETHE APE od PS 36 0 94 31 29 9 313 | 32 8? 31 cee 
WAGON DAL! cave « ease vis a's 34 8 94 31 307 93 32 33 || 9 293 oe | 
Teg MR wi caasscc faze os ueuees 37 «8 93 313 | 302 | 10 32 343 || 10 29 36 
TEE A Re pete Senn Ae ae 38 0 103 33 323 || 102 32 354 || 103 292 | 352 | 
* The arguments in favour of including this vertebra among the caudal series are given in a former paper, 
Description of the skeleton of Inia geoffrensis, p. 100, of the present yolume. 
222 
