116 PROI'. W. B. BENHAM ON THE [May 21, 



to other accounts, but it is worthy of note that the three specimens 

 described from New Zealand have each more than the above 

 maximum. Moreover, Owen states (p. 41) that " the teeth are 

 small, straight, conical, obtuse, not exceeding 8 lines in length," 

 &c. It is, I understand, generally believed that there is but one 

 species of this Small Cachalot ; it is therefore worth noting these 

 small differences. 



The soft folate had been partially cut away, and the broad naso- 

 palatal canal exposed. A short slit was all that was needed to 

 exhibit the lower ends of the narial canals, which are shown m 

 PI. VIII. fig. 5. 



IV. Alimentary Tract. 



My observations are incomplete, as the gut had been cut across, 

 close to the stomach, and indeed across the narrow chamber of this 

 organ. When removing the viscera — which were buried in sand— 

 this fact was overlooked, and the intestine with the rest of the 

 stomach was left behind, so that I am unable to give measure- 

 ments of the entire canal. 



The hindmost portion (about 7 feet) of the intestine remained 

 attached to the body ; and at a point about 3 feet 6 inches from the 

 anus the intestine suddenly dilates to form a sac, filled with a very 

 dark-brovrn fluid, of considerable density, which, when smeared on 

 the paper of my note-book, left a dark sepia-coloured mark. 



Sir W. Turner [15] describes a similar rich brown fluid in the 

 hind gut of Eisso's Grampus, and suggests that it is derived 

 from the sepia of the ink-sacs of the cuttles on which the 

 cetacean had fed ; and further explains the absence of the dark 

 material in the stomach and anterior part of the intestine, by 

 supposing that the ink-bags pass uninjured into the posterior 

 region of the gut, where their walls become dissolved and the 

 fluid released. This seems to be the case in Cogia, for the small 

 intestine did not contain the dark fluid. 



This specimen of Cogia contained in its stomach a great 

 quantity of cuttle-beaks, lenses of eyes, and the remains of the 

 pens of some Loligo-like species, probably OmmastrepJies sloanil ; 

 also some partially digested red membranes which appear to have 

 been cylindrical. Each bears, near one end, a thick, firm, white 

 patch on which, and on the membrane, are horny, conical teeth- 

 like structures, recalling gizzard-teeth of Aplysia, but no dark 

 fluid. 



Von Haast [2] states that in the specimen studied by him, " the 

 contents of the stomach consisted of a dark slimy matter ;" and 

 noting the absence of cuttle-beaks, and the small size and the 

 position of the mouth, he concluded that Cogia is " probably a 

 ground-feeder, perhaps on the smaller hydroid polyps." This 

 view is, evidently, negatived by the presence of beaks in the 

 Parakanui specimen. 



The stomach (PI. IX. fig. 10), as I have said, is imperfect ; but 

 I will describe so much as remains, for in some respects it confirms 



