1876.] PROF. FLOWER ON ZIPHIUS NOV^-ZEALANDIS. 477 



Mandible. ft. in. 



Length of ramus 2 9*75 



„ of symphysis 7'25 



Vertical height of ramus at coronoid process 6"83 



Apex of mandible projecting beyond apex of rostrum. . 1*75 



Mandibular tooth, length 2*85 



„ „ breadth, greatest 0*6 1 



2. Remarks upon Dr. von Haast's Communication on Ziphius 

 novee-zealandice. By Professor Flower, F.R.S. 



[Received June 5, 1876.] 



I have to make the following remarks upon Dr. v. Haast's com- 

 munication which has just been read to tbe meeting. 



1. It should be stated that Dr. von T Iaas<- in his MS., which he 

 submitted to me, has followed Dr. Gray a using the generic name 

 Epiodon for the animal described ; but .. have taken the liberty of 

 substituting the Cuvierian epithet Ziphius. With reference to the 

 revival of the former name, I fully agree with the following remarks 

 of Fischer*: — 



"M. Gray considere V Epiodon urganantus de Rafinescpief comme 

 le type de Ziphius cavirostris. 12 Epiodon urganantus est, pour 

 Desmarest, son Del planus epiodon ; et voici les caracteres qui lui 

 sont attribues par Rafinesque. 



' Corps oblong, attenue posterieurement ; machoire inferieure plus 

 courte que la superieure ; plusieurs dents obtuses, egales a celle-ci ; 

 aucune a la premiere ; pas de nageoire dorsale. 



' Habit e la mer de Sicile.' 



" Comme on le voit, le genre Epiodon et l'espece urganantus sont 

 plus que brievement decrits ; je pense qu'il est absolument impossible 

 de les reconnaitre, et qu'il serait sage de laisser reposer en paix les 

 diagnoses de Rafinesque; on ne doit pas accorder de notoriete scien- 

 tifique a de pareils travaux." 



If, therefore, Epiodon is to be used for the present form, the almost 

 universally received and well-characterized Ziphius% would have to be 

 discarded from zoology, as it cannot be with any reason or propriety 

 transferred, as Dr. Gray has done, to another and very distinct 

 genus {Mesoplodon, Gervais). It must be retained for Ziphius cavi- 

 rostris and its allies, or given up altogether. 



2. I do not see that Dr. v. Haast has given any grounds for dis- 

 tinction between his Z. novai-zeulandice and the previously described 



* " Memoire sur les Cetaces du genre Ziphius, Cuvier," Nouv. Arch, du 

 Museum, tome iii. p. 42. 



t 'Precis des decouvertes et travaux somiologiques,' &c, p. 13 (Palermo 

 1814). 



I Cuvier, 'Ossemens fossiles,' 2nd edit. vol. v. 1824. 



Froc. Zool. Soc— 1876, No. XXXII. 32 



