212 PROFESSOR FLOWER ON THE RECENT ZIPHIOID WHALES. 
donation, a skull of ‘‘ Mesoplodon sowerbyensis” is mentioned as presented by Stephen 
C. Martin, but without any further details. 
Berarpius, Duvernoy. 
Upper ends of the premaxille nearly symmetrical, moderately elevated, very slightly 
expanded, and not curved forwards over the nares. Nasals broad, massive, and rounded, 
of nearly equal size, forming the vertex of the skull, flattened in front, most prominent 
in the middle line. Anteorbital notch distinct. Rostrum long and narrow. Mesethmoid 
only partially ossified. Small rugous eminences on the outer edge of the upper surface 
of the maxille at base of rostrum. 
Two moderate-sized, compressed, pointed teeth on each side of the symphysis of the 
mandible, with their apices directed forwards, the anterior being the larger of the two, 
and directed forwards’. 
History of Berardius arnouxi?. 
The genus Berardius was founded by Duvernoy® upon a skull received at the Museum 
of Paris in 1846, having been obtained from an animal stranded in Akaroa Harbour, 
Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. The following brief description of the animal, and 
the circumstances attending its capture, was supplied by M. Arnoux, surgeon to the 
corvette ‘ Rhin, commanded by Captain Bérard, by whom the skull was presented to 
the Museum. 
“Cet animal vint échouer, sur la cote, dans le port d’Akaroa.... . Des habitants 
anglais, voisins de ce lieu, le tuérent 4 coups de lance... .. Ils en retirérent trois 
barils de graisse. La corvette ‘le Rhin’ rentra dans le port d’Akaroa trois ou quatre 
jours aprés cet événement . . . . Je m’empressai d’aller voir les restes de cet animal, et 
je m’emparai de la téte et d’un aileron... . . L’animal vivant avait 32 pieds anglais de 
longueur totale; il était pourvu dune nageoire dorsale assez étendue précédée d'une 
bosse assez considérable. Sa couleur était entiérement noire, sauf une partie grisdtre 
claire vers les organes génitaux: c’était un male.” 
No portion of the animal except the skull was brought to the Museum. Duvernoy’s 
description of this is accompanied by a figure of the upper surface of the cranium, of 
the mandible, and a side view of one of the teeth*. 
1 In the specimen in the Wellington Museum the second tooth does not seem to be developed. See Trans. 
New-Zealand Institute, vol. ii. pls. 13 & 14, p. 129. This, together with the circumstances mentioned with 
respect to the teeth of different species of Mesoplodon, shows that the diagnoses of the genera of Ziphioids from 
the teeth alone, relied upon by some authors, as Fischer, are insufficient. 
? Spelt arnuawit by Duyernoy, arnouai and arnouwii by other authors. 
* «Mémoire sur les caractéres ostéologiques des genres nouveaux ou des espéces nouvelles de Cétacés vivants 
ou fossiles.” (Annales des Sciences Naturelles, 3° série, Zoologie, tome xy. 1851, pp. 1-71.) 
* Loe. cit. pl. 1. 
