104 PYGMY SPERM WHALE — PIERS. 



is twisted, and joins the median crest on its lefthand edge, 

 and extends to within a short distance of the supraoccipital- 

 frontal crest. The left premaxilla is wider than the right one 

 before tho nares, and seemingly terminates at the posterior 

 margin of the large left naris, but the suture is somewhat 

 difficult to discern. 



The maxillae are narrow anteriorly, but widen and thicken 

 greatly at the maxillary notch, which latter is narrow but 

 penetrates very deeply (4.3 cm. deep). Transversely the max- 

 illae begin to be strongly concave here. Just posterior to the 

 notches, the maxillae are very greatly thickened, and thence 

 rise in a strongly elevated lateral crest which passes in a curve, 

 as before mentioned, back to where they and the supraoccip- 

 ital form a sharp, curved tranverse crest near the vertex. This 

 curved crest thus forms a "horse-shoe" enclosing a concave 

 basin, in which formerly was situated the loose connective tissue 

 containing the supply of spermaceti. Another very promi- 

 nent crest arises at the vertex (where it joins the transverse 

 crest) and passes forward, being twisted to the left, S-wise, and 

 finally is lost at the posterior margin of the large left naris. 

 Whether this crest is formed by the right margin of the left 

 maxilla, or by it in conjunction with the left nasal, I am unable 

 to say with certainty, as only the median suture between the 

 maxillae can be traced. At any rate, the nasals are difficult 

 to precisely locate, unless the sutures should subsequently open 

 up. 



The frontal is entirely covered by the maxillae posteriorly; 

 but the supraorbital process of the frontal is massive and well 

 developed. The body of the malar is massive, and has a strong 

 postero-inferior process, just anterior to the orbit. The 

 zygomatic process of the squamosal is prominent, but shows no 

 unusual thickening. The greatest breadth of the skull is in this 

 region. The supraoccipital bone rises almost vertically from 

 the foramen magnum, to meet the posterior margins of the 

 maxillae (and the covered frontals) and then joins in forming 

 the transverse crest. 



Viewed ventrally, the skull is symmetrical. The inter- 

 maxillae show for a short distance only (3.5 cm.) at tip of ros- 

 trum. The maxillae are convex in cross-section, and have two 

 narrow but deep channels towards their lateral margins; these 

 grooves representing the obselete tooth-row. The palatines 



