162 ON A SKELETON OF A WilALE IX THE 



After a sonunvliat carefii] study nf all the dirt'ercnl speci- 

 mens given in the foregoing list, the following coneliisions have 

 been reached by the anther as to the s])eciiic' jiosition which 

 should be occupied by these specinu>ns. Xvvy furtiinately, in 

 both the liedpath .Museum aad that at Ottawa there was a well- 

 nionnted skeleton of J). Icuca.s eli)se at hand, so that com- 

 parisons were readily made. As the measurements show, 

 there is no great difference in the size of the three skeletous, 

 Vermont, Cornwall and .Montreal, which are suthcieutly com- 

 plete to make any comparison worth ^hile. The Cornwall 

 skeleton at Ottawa is rather larger, an 1 the Smith's brickyard 

 one at Montreal rather smaller than the Vermont, hut as tliey 

 are somewhat differently set tij), and especially, as ihe Ottawa 

 specimen aleue lias auythiug to take the ])laccs <d' the intei'- 

 vertebral cartilages, exact com[)arisun is not possible. 



From comparison of separate bones it seems to the author 

 most probal)le that the ^^ermont specimen a'nd the most perfect 

 one in the liedpath Museum are identical, and are sufficiently 

 different from the modern P. h'licas to warrant placing them 

 as at least a distinct variety, if not species. Had not a sy)ecies 

 been alreasly established by Thompson and lo'ng well-lmown, it 

 might seem Ijest to regard the fossils as belonging to a small 

 variety of I), leucas rather than to add a new specific name; but 

 as it is, it seems best to allow Thompson's specici rennontcmus 

 TO stand. 



The reasons for sei»arating the fossil from the recent foiius 

 have alrcadv been given. 



The Cornwall whale presents greater resemblance to the 

 modern species than either of the others, and T agree fully -vvith 

 those who have considered it identical. If only we had the e;ir 

 bones, it would prol)ably be jjossible to speak with more certain 

 conviction as to the above. As it is, the author would state what 

 has l)cen said rather as his opinion than as an indisputable fact. 



