18/6.] DR. J. V. HAAST ON ZIPHIUS NOV^-ZEALANDI.E. 46/ 



The head was much swollen. The whole skeleton, with the ex- 

 ception of a few bones, was secured for the Canterbury Museum, 

 where it now stands articulated in one of its rooms. The accom- 

 panying drawing (Plate XLV. fig. 2) gives its outline. 



Before, however, entering into a description of the principal portions 

 of the skeleton, I wish to draw attention to the fact that our speci- 

 men did not possess a dorsal fin ; nor did a careful examination by 

 Mr. Fuller of the central line of the back reveal the least fragment 

 of one, or even the indication that it ever existed. However, this 

 absence cannot be claimed as a generic character, because the Ziphius 

 australis of Burmeister (see the excellent Memoir on that species in 

 'Anales del Museo Publico de Buenos Aires,' part v., by that distin- 

 guished veteran naturalist) possesses a well-developed dorsal fin. 



Moreover the forehead of the New-Zealand species is much swollen, 

 whilst the head of the South-American species previously alluded 

 to is tapering. Thus, in the enumeration of the principal character- 

 istics of the genus Ziphius (see amongst others Gray's ' Catalogue of 

 Seals and Whales,' page 340), this feature also must lose generic value. 

 Dr. Hector, in the 'Transactions of the New-Zealand Institute,' vol. v. 

 page 165, has given a short description of the skull of a specimen, 

 under the name of Ziphius chathamiensis, which, if not belonging to 

 the same species, is closely allied to the animal of the New-Zealand 

 coast. That skull was obtained on the Chatham Islands. 



However, as amongst minor differences the form of the teeth is 

 different, I have thought it more expedient to describe the New- 

 Zealand specimen under the specific name of Ziphius novce-zea- 

 landicc, leaving it to the future student, when more material has 

 been collected, to determine whether there are two distinct species 

 or not. 



The skull (Plate XLVI. fig. 2) has the following dimensions : — 



ft, in. 



Extreme length with lower jaw 3 3*12 



Extreme length of cranium, point of rostrum (which is 



broken off) restored 3 1 - 50 



Length of rostrum, from the apex of the prsemaxillse 

 to the middle of the line drawn between the ante- 

 orbital notches 1 7'89 



Greatest height, from top of nasals to lower border of 



pterygoids 1 5'52 



Greatest breadth, across postorbital processes of frontals 1 10-/5 



Breadth of occipital condyles 6'30 



,, of foramen magnum 42 - 



Height of foramen maguum 2"22 



Breadth of base of rostrum between bottom of ante- 

 orbital notches 1 - 91 



Breadth of rostrum in the middle 4*83 



Anterior nares, greatest width of the two 3*20 



Height of crest, above occipital foramen 1 2*93 



Width of occiput 1 4'60 



